


My Brothers' Keeper

by captaindominoes



Category: Star Wars Prequel Trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Internalized Homophobia, Rex/Ahsoka will come later, This story mostly centers around characters from the 501st
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-26
Updated: 2020-08-10
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:55:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 86,924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23857951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/captaindominoes/pseuds/captaindominoes
Summary: Rex loved his brothers more deeply and fiercely than he thought possible. They were all impossibly intertwined with each other. Rex’s path had never been smooth or linear; it was messy, confusing, and heart-wrenching at times thanks to the band of idiots he chose to call family. Rex had chosen his brothers above all else a long time ago, and he would make that choice a million times over if he had to.AU. Rex isn't certain of many things, but he knows it's his responsibility to take care of his brothers no matter what. Orphaned at a young age, the six Fett brothers are forced to fight to stay together regardless of circumstance. When their estranged father, Jango Fett, comes back into their lives, the brothers must figure out what family truly means to them.
Relationships: CT-21-0408 | Echo & CT-27-5555 | Fives | ARC-5555, CT-5597 | Jesse & CT-6116 | Kix, CT-7567 | Rex/Ahsoka Tano
Comments: 569
Kudos: 501





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I will never apologize for my love for the 501st. Enjoy :)

There were two undeniable truths that Rex carried with him throughout his life: he loved his brothers, and he would do anything for them.

Each of his brothers had their own faults and quirks, and Rex loved them for it. Fives, whose stubborn attitude and staunch sense of right and wrong got him into trouble more often than the rest. Echo, who was Fives’ shadow, and whose loyalty to his brothers was second to none. Hardcase, who was bold and self-assured on a good day, but cocky and arrogant on a bad one. Jesse, who never failed to make his brothers laugh when they needed it. And finally, Kix. The baby of the family, and the one who never failed to surprise his brothers with his grit and determination.

Rex loved his brothers more deeply and fiercely than he thought possible. They were all impossibly intertwined with each other. Rex’s path had never been smooth or linear; it was messy, confusing, and heart-wrenching at times thanks to the band of idiots he chose to call family. Rex had chosen his brothers above all else a long time ago, and he would make that choice a million times over if he had to. It all came back to that day, that terrible day when everything changed so suddenly and inexplicably. The day Rex made his choice.

***

_Mom should be home by now._

Rex pushed aside the curtain of the front window in the living room, peering out into the dark street beyond. The rain and wind slammed against the window, and Rex watched as the light across the street flickered and dimmed against the onslaught. Mom had promised to be home for dinner, but yet again work had kept her late. Rex was used to this. As the oldest of six, he’d been taking care of his brothers since he could walk. When it was clear Mom was going to be home late again, Rex had dutifully fixed dinner for the family: boxed Mac and cheese with little cut up hot dogs mixed in. He was only eleven, after all; his cooking skills were limited to boiling water and reheating leftovers.

Only Jesse had complained about the meal, but that was because Kix was still in the phase where he thought throwing food was hilarious and had selected Jesse as his unfortunate target. Rex didn’t have much patience for his brothers’ bickering.

“Rex, he’s touching me again! He’s touching my food!”

“I am not! Not touching!

“Quit it! Rex, make him stop!”

Irritated, Rex slammed his fork down and leveled his best glare across the table.

“I’m gonna feed both of your meals to ‘Case if you don’t shut up.”

That shut them up pretty quick, although Hardcase was slightly annoyed that his hopes of getting two extra portions were shot down. Every once in a while one of his brothers would grumble about him always being the one to boss them around, but Rex was the oldest and the biggest, which meant he was in charge by default. That argument worked… most of the time.

After dinner, Rex let his brothers turn on whatever show they wanted while he cleaned up the kitchen. He carefully put away the leftovers in a container for Mom when she got home. It wasn’t a gourmet meal, but it still made Rex’s heart swell when she would give him that tired smile and a kiss on the head for his efforts. It was all worth it in the end, even listening to his brothers’ obnoxious yelling about what show to watch from the living room.

That had been over two hours ago. Rex looked at the time; it was nearly 8:30pm and way past Kix and Jesse’s bedtimes. They always wanted to wait up so they could say goodnight to Mom even when she worked late, but that would result in two very grumpy little monsters the next morning if they were allowed. Rex peeled himself away from the window and sighed. Echo, Fives, and Hardcase were all absorbed in their show, so it was up to Rex yet again to wrangle the two youngest into their pajamas and get them into bed. Jesse went down without a fuss since he was overtired from wrestling with Hardcase after dinner. Jesse always lost, but he vowed that he would one day beat his older brother (without cheating).

Kix was another story. Rex had never seen a kid so hyper and squirrely all the time. It took a glass of milk, a snack, and two bedtime stories to get to Kix in bed, under the covers, and at least pretending to sleep. Rex was satisfied with that and went back out into the living room to wait for Mom with the rest of his brothers.

Rex was good at hiding how anxious he felt, but even Echo, Fives, and Hardcase were starting to notice how strange it was that Mom wasn’t home yet. When their show ended, Fives idly flipped through the channels, Echo squirmed on the couch, and Hardcase started bouncing his leg to get out his nervous energy.

“What time is it?” Fives asked after several minutes of heavy silence.

“9:30.”

“‘Kay.” Resigned, Fives selected a random show to watch and put the volume on low as they waited.

When a car finally pulled into the driveway just after 10, Rex internally sighed in relief. Finally. He was tired and wanted to go to bed, but he had to stay up to make sure she knew he put dinner away in the fridge for her.

The brothers were startled by a knock on the door a moment later. Why would Mom knock and not use her keys? Maybe she forgot them, or they got lost somewhere in her purse and she was too impatient to fish them out. That happened sometimes. Rex got up to answer the door so she wouldn’t have to wait in the rain too long.

The police officer on the other side stared down at Rex, masking his surprise. Red and blue lights filtered into the house from behind him, casting a shadow that was much more intimidating than the man himself. The officer looked behind Rex to see three anxious brothers peering around the door frame. The man sighed.

“Son, is your father home?”

Rex’s grip tightened on the door. “No, sir. We don’t have a father. It’s just me and my brothers. Mom’s on her way home; she’ll be here any minute.”

The officer’s expression shifted, and he nodded in understanding. “What’s your name?”

“Rex.” Rex stiffened with pride. It wasn’t the name he was born with, but just like the rest of his brothers, he had chosen it himself.

“Rex. Okay.” Rex didn’t like the look the officer was giving him. “My name is Officer Windu, and this is my partner, Officer Gallia.” He stepped aside to reveal a slightly shorter woman with a kind smile. “May we come in?”

Later, Rex would regret opening the door for Officer Windu and Officer Gallia. He wished that he had slammed the door in their faces, locked it, and kept out all the sadness, all the grief, and all the pain they brought with them. It felt like a thousand years, but it only took about ten short minutes to shatter Rex’s entire world like an ice crystal hitting the ground, pieces flying everywhere, no hope of putting it back together again. All the officers could do was look at him with that stupid, sad expression. Rex hated them.

The worst part was waking up Jesse and Kix so they could go to the police station together. Officer Gallia offered to help out with the boys, but Rex insisted on doing it himself.

“Rex, what’s going on?”

“Put your shoes on, Jesse.” Rex was already shoving Kix’s feet into socks and shoes as his brothers started to wake up from all the commotion.

“Where’s Mom?”

“Put your damn shoes on, Jesse!” Rex’s voice shook, betraying his emotion. He wanted to be strong for his brothers, but everything was coming apart at the seams and he felt helpless. Sniffling, Rex blinked back angry tears and lifted Kix out of bed. They had to go. Rex didn’t even know when they’d be back. All he knew was that it was just them now, and for the first time in his life, Rex felt completely and utterly alone.

An accident. That’s what happened. Slick roads, a sharp turn, and poor visibility was all it took to take everything from them. _Mom is dead._ Rex repeated it in his head over and over as he rode in the back of Officer Windu’s police car. _Mom is dead._ And his brothers were looking at him, expecting him to say something, expecting him to somehow fix this. Rex was the oldest and the biggest, so that meant he was in charge. But he was only eleven years old, and he had no idea what to do or say. So he sat quietly with his brothers and waited.

At the police station, the brothers were sat down in hard plastic chairs and told to stay put. Rex kept waiting, kept staring at the wall across from them, trying to understand what was happening. There was a corkboard overflowing with fliers and messages right in front of him. _Have you seen this man? Come to the picnic on Saturday! Call the number below if you have any information on the suspect._ Rex read the words over and over again as if hoping to find some kind of meaning buried in them.

“Rex.”

Rex was snapped out of his reverie by a hand tugging on his sleeve. It was Kix, who looked so sleepy and small and scared, just like the rest of them. “Yeah?”

“I have to pee.”

Rex sighed and scrubbed at his tired eyes. He didn’t have the luxury of waiting around anymore. It was his responsibility to take care of his brothers, now more than ever. They needed him. Taking Kix’s hand in his, Rex started down the hall to find a bathroom. He was pretty sure he’d seen a sign on the way in, but he couldn’t remember where exactly it was. He was thankful that Kix had just turned three and was already out of diapers, or they’d have another mess to deal with.

Rex could hear his brothers quietly arguing as he returned from the bathroom with Kix. Fives hushed them when he saw Rex coming down the hall and tried to sit innocently, but Rex knew better. He squinted suspiciously when he sat back down. “What is it?”

“Well, uh… We were just talking…” Fives started slowly, unsure of himself. Echo, his twin and his duplicate in every way, stayed quiet.

Hardcase huffed and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Mom is dead,” he said with all the acrimony a 7-year-old could muster. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“‘Case, shut the hell up!” Rex said loudly, anger filling his chest. It was the first time any one of them had said it out loud. “Just… shut up, okay?” He glanced over at Jesse and Kix, who watched him with round eyes. Rex felt sick, and he wished he was back in the bathroom so he could throw up.

“I’m just saying. They’re gonna take us away now,” Hardcase said, and Jesse looked scared even if he didn’t say it out loud. Rex wondered how much of this Kix understood.

“Shut up, Hardcase. You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Rex bit back. “I’m not letting anybody split us up. We’re brothers. We have to stay together.”

“What’s gonna happen to us?” Jesse asked quietly, looking around at his brothers for some kind of assurance. “They’re not really gonna take us away, are they?”

The truth was, Rex had no idea what was going to happen. Everything had changed in just a few short hours, and he was just as scared as Hardcase that they were going to try to split them up. Sitting in the police station, watching people walk by without even a second glance at the brothers, Rex had never felt so small. But he was certain of one thing: no matter what, he wasn’t going to let Mom down.

Rex clenched his jaw so tightly he thought he felt a molar crack. “No. I’m not ever gonna let that happen.”

***

All the brothers were stubborn, but when it came down to it, Rex could hold out longer than any of them. Arms crossed, he stared at the woman across the table from them, trying to size her up. What kind of name was Luminara, anyway? She didn’t look anything like a social worker. Then again, he had a brother called Fives, so maybe Luminara wasn’t all that unusual. Rex didn’t trust her, and he didn’t believe for a second that she had his brothers’ best interests at heart. It was his job to protect them, not hers.

And he was not about to be won over so easily by a chocolate donut.

As it crept closer to the early hours of the morning, Officer Windu had brought in a dozen donuts and chocolate milk for the brothers. They were in a private room now, and Rex felt betrayed when he realized Officer Windu was trying to butter them up with treats before bringing in Miss Luminara, their new social worker. He stood firm and refused to be manipulated with frosting and sprinkles. This was too important.

Fives had no problem taking Rex’s share of the donuts and happily chowed down on what was left. Kix, Jesse, and Hardcase had lost the battle to sleep and were slumped over on a couch in the corner while the rest of the brothers sat with Luminara. Echo looked ready to doze off right at the table, and Fives poked him so he’d stay awake.

“You like to be called Rex, correct?” Luminara asked, addressing him first.

“Yeah, that’s my name,” Rex responded. “This is Fives and Echo. That’s Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix over there.”

Luminara simply nodded and didn’t comment on how unusual the names were like most people did. “I can tell you care very deeply for your brothers. How are you feeling?”

Rex wanted to roll his eyes. How was he feeling? How did she think he was feeling? “We wanna go home. We don’t like being trapped here. Nobody’s telling us what’s going on.”

“I understand. This is a very scary time,” Luminara said. Her voice was soft and soothing like a calming ocean wave. “I’m here to help you. I want to make sure all of you are taken care of.”

“We’ll be just fine as long as we’re together.” Rex sat up straight and looked her in the eye, daring her to challenge him.

“That’s my goal. I’m sure you know you can’t stay at your home alone,” Luminara said. “Right now, we’re seeing if there’s any family we can contact to take you in for the time being.” She flipped through a few pages in the file in front of her. “I’m aware you don’t have family on your mother’s side. We don’t seem to have any contact information for your father.”

Rex stiffened at that. “We don’t have a father. It's just us and Mom. Nobody else.”

“I see. Well…” Luminara gently closed the file and looked at the brothers across the table from her. “We’ll see about making arrangements to place you in a home or with a family in foster care. We’ll do our best to keep all of you together. I can see how important that is to you.”

Rex nodded. At least they were on the same page. “That’s right. I’m not letting anybody split us up.”

“Of course. Officer Windu and Officer Gallia are going to take you back to your house so you can collect some of your things,” Luminara said. “Please feel free to ask me or the officers any questions you have.”

Fives piped up from beside Rex. “Yeah, I have a question. Can we get more donuts? Or is that off the table?”

Luminara chuckled softly. “I’ll see what I can do about that. Anything else you might need?”

“No, ma’am. Thank you.” Fives grinned and licked the glaze off his fingers. Rex’s brothers were truly animals.

True to her word, Luminara asked Officer Windu and Officer Gallia to bring them back to the house to gather whatever they could fit into a few small bags. Kix and Jesse were totally dead on their feet, and Rex didn’t blame them. He’d been up for more than 24 hours now, and the adrenaline that kept him going initially was starting to wear off. Rex numbly packed clothes and toiletries for all of them into their backpacks.

There was hardly room for sentimental items, but Rex snuck a few in there he knew they couldn’t live without. Jesse’s stuffed dog, Kix’s favorite blanket, Fives’s Gameboy, and, of course, a picture of Mom. Rex slid it out of its frame and gently folded it, placing it in his pocket. He wanted to keep it on him just in case.

When it was finally time to leave the house, Rex paused for a moment on the front steps and looked back at all the memories inside. He was sure by now that they wouldn’t be living in there again, and it felt like he was leaving a piece of Mom behind. A lump caught in Rex’s throat, and he fought back the urge to run back in and lock himself inside. Mom really was gone. She wasn’t going to be there anymore to keep them safe, or soothe them when they were scared, or even just give them a kiss goodnight. It wasn’t fair, but Rex was powerless to change anything. He was the oldest and the biggest, so that meant he was in charge. But he was only eleven years old.

Rex turned and left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For clarity, here are the ages of the brothers at the beginning:  
> Rex-11  
> Fives & Echo-10  
> Hardcase-7  
> Jesse-4  
> Kix-3


	2. Chapter 2

“‘Case, quit moving!”

“Shh, they’re gonna hear us!”

“OW! You’re laying on my arm!”

“Then stop moving!”

Rex laid awake, staring at the ceiling. He was beginning to seriously regret letting his brothers crawl into his bed. It had been just over a month since the brothers had been placed in a group home together. It was pretty much the only place that had the ability to take all of them at once, so they had been happy initially. When they arrived at the group home, however, they were less than thrilled at what they found. 

The house itself wasn’t huge, but it was filled with five other boys of various ages. Immediately, the brothers were separated into rooms with the other boys their age. Rex had no problem admitting that he disliked the other boys in his room. He had asked one of the ladies running the group home if he could stay in one room with all his brothers, to which she had snarkily replied:

“The world doesn’t revolve around you, you know. You should be grateful to be here.”

Yeah, Rex hated her too. 

For the first time in his life, Rex was alone with two older boys he didn’t know. At least Echo and Fives were together across the hall, and Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase got to share a room with one of the younger boys. It took approximately one hour after lights out on the first night for Kix and Jesse to come barrelling down the hall to Rex’s room, eager to climb into bed with him. Hardcase came sulking in a little later, annoyed at being left behind. Cramming four rowdy boys into a tiny twin bed wasn’t easy, but Rex knew this transition was difficult for all of them. He decided to allow it for the first night. 

After that, it became a routine. Rex didn’t have the heart to deny them even if he didn’t particularly enjoy being squished against the wall every night. He elbowed Hardcase in the ribs to get him to quit squirming. 

“‘Case, I’m gonna kick you out if you don’t stop,” Rex hissed. He didn’t want to wake up the other boys in his room since he knew they’d be pissed to see his brothers in there again. Rex had at least one of his brothers hanging off him at all times, which the older boys found incredibly irritating. Rex couldn’t blame them. His brothers were pretty obnoxious 

“It’s not me, it’s Kix!” Hardcase pouted, but at least he stopped moving. Jesse took the opportunity to wiggle his way up to lay between Rex and the wall so he could put his head on his brother’s shoulder. 

“Rex?” Jesse whispered in his ear. Ew, Jesse had definitely lied about brushing his teeth that night. 

“Yeah?”

Jesse was quiet for a moment, and Rex wondered if he’d actually fallen asleep. After a long minute of silence, he spoke again. “I miss Mom.” 

Rex closed his eyes and exhaled softly. “So do I, Jesse.”

“Are we gonna be here forever?”

“I don’t know.” Rex shifted to look at Jesse. “You don’t have to worry about it. That’s my job. Go to sleep, okay?” Jesse nodded, and his brothers finally settled down. 

It was starting to sink in that the brothers were going to be there for quite some time. Rex did his best to keep the peace, but it made his blood boil when his brothers were disrespected and denied their freedom. The group home was run by a woman named Mother Talzin, but the boys called her “the witch” behind her back. She didn’t seem to care much for the boys themselves, only the checks they brought in. Rex had a sneaking suspicion that was the only reason she agreed to take all six of the brothers into the home. 

Rex’s brothers seemed to get along with the younger boys, but Rex was having a hard time fitting in with the older ones. For one, both of them were significantly older than him. Lux Bonteri had just turned 14 and wasn’t interested in getting to know a little kid like Rex. Saw Gerrera, the oldest in the group home, was 16. All he cared about was getting out of the system as soon as possible, and he wasn’t planning on waiting until he turned 18. Every day, he talked about how he was going to enlist in the Army as soon as he turned 17. Rex was fine with that. Saw had made it clear from the beginning that he didn’t like the brothers. 

Saw’s dislike for them wasn’t entirely unfounded. When any of the boys got in trouble, it seemed to always come back to one of the brothers. Rex did his best to keep things under control, but he was constantly getting pulled in all different directions by Mother Talzin and the other ladies that ran the group home. There were always chores to do, and Rex seemed to be taking on the majority of the burden. 

All in all, Rex really didn’t think what happened to the TV was his fault, but pretty much everyone else saw it differently. 

The ladies that ran the group home weren’t particularly interested in actually watching over the boys, favoring long smoke breaks and taking frequent trips to spend their checks from the state instead. That left the boys to their own devices most of the time. Rex did his best to keep the younger ones out of trouble while also doing all the chores Mother Talzin expected him to do. He had to sweep and mop daily, plus clean the kitchen and the bathrooms, all while keeping up with his brothers and making sure they got fed. It was exhausting. 

Technically the chores were supposed to be split evenly among the older boys, but Lux and Saw had laughed in his face when Rex asked what chores they were going to do. Even Fives and Echo seemed to conveniently disappear when Rex needed them. Rex didn’t mind the chores because it gave him something to do, but it also meant he couldn’t be watching over his brothers 24/7. It was inevitable that something was going to happen. 

As the oldest, Saw usually claimed the living room as his own personal space during the day and turned on whatever show he wanted to watch. He allowed Lux to hang out with him since they were friends, but he usually told the brothers to scram if they came around. The younger ones didn’t care much since they preferred to play outside, but Fives and Echo started to get annoyed that they could never watch what they wanted to. Rex could hear them arguing from where he was cleaning up in the kitchen. 

“I wanna turn on my show. You always watch those boring, dumb cop shows. It’s not fair that we never get to pick.” That was definitely Fives. 

Rex could hear the smirk in Saw’s voice. “Fat chance. Piss off, short stuff. You can choose what show to watch once you can actually see over the back of the couch.”

“It’s our turn to watch what we want. You better hand over the remote. Also, we _can_ see over the back of the couch, asshole,” Echo snarked back. 

“Uh, no. Go play Barbies outside with your brothers or whatever you guys do, I don’t give a shit.”

“You better give us the remote, Saw. Quit being a dick.”

“Yeah? You want it? Come take it from me.”

That was a mistake. Before Rex could even react, he heard a crash followed by Saw cursing loudly. He ran in to see what had happened. 

“Oh, you’re so fucking dead!” Saw yelled. He was fuming, and Rex saw why as soon as he entered the living room. It seemed that Fives had tried to wrestle the remote out of Saw’s hands, which had resulted in the hard plastic remote flying across the room and hitting the TV. The screen was shattered where the remote had struck it, and the picture was flickering in and out. Fives stared with an open mouth. 

“It wasn’t me! It was Saw! He let go of the remote!”

“You little asshole! Oh, you’re so gonna pay for this.” Saw turned on Rex and stuck a finger in his face. “This is your fault. Ever since you guys got here, everything has gone to shit. You’re supposed to watch them, not let them destroy everything in the house. This is gonna be on my ass now.”

When Mother Talzin got home later that afternoon, she took one look at the TV and dragged Saw into the bedroom, locking the door behind them. Rex ran over as quietly as he could and listened at the door. He had tried to explain what really happened, but Mother Talzin didn’t want to hear it. She assigned blame to Saw because he was the oldest in the home and he was technically supposed to be in charge. Anything that happened ultimately fell on him. 

Even through the door, Rex could clearly hear the sound of a belt hitting skin and Saw’s quiet cries. It seemed to go on for hours, and Rex was rooted to the spot as he listened to the _smack_ over and over again. He flinched every time. This was all his fault. He should’ve told Fives and Echo to just leave Saw alone and this never would’ve happened. Later, when Saw came limping out of the bedroom, Rex tried to come over to apologize. 

“Saw, I’m sorry--”

“Don’t.” Saw exhaled quietly and looked away from Rex. “Just stay away from me. All of you, stay away from me.” 

All Rex could do was watch Saw walk away. He felt the same sense of overwhelming helplessness that he experienced that night when the officers showed up on his doorstep, bringing nothing but rain and cold sadness with them. Grief swelled in Rex’s chest and he ran into his room, slamming the door. The more he tried to help, the more people he hurt. Rex had to remind himself that regardless of much he hated living at the foster home, at least they were together. If they were forced to leave, they’d most likely be separated. No matter what, they had to stay, even if it meant dealing with Mother Talzin and her witches. 

*** 

June 29th was fast approaching, and Rex had no idea what he was going to do. 

Hardcase was the first to have a birthday out of the six brothers. He was turning 8, and Rex wanted to make sure he made the day special. Even if he didn’t show it, Rex knew Hardcase was missing Mom even more the closer it drew to his birthday. When Rex came to Hardcase’s room one morning a few days before his birthday, he found Hardcase slumped over on his bed, hugging a stuffed bear to his chest and fighting back tears. Rex hadn’t even realized Hardcase brought that old thing with him to the foster home. It had been gifted to him by their mother when he was a baby. 

Rex knew Hardcase hated being babied, so instead of saying anything, he simply sat with his brother in silence as they both processed their emotions. Rex had a hard time showing how he felt too since he was so used to being strong, and this moment shared with Hardcase made him realize that even he needed time just to sit and be sad. They never talked about that morning after, but Rex knew Hardcase appreciated Rex’s presence and support. 

Although Rex didn’t have much to give to Hardcase for his birthday, he knew he wanted to do something to commemorate his brother’s special day. There certainly wasn’t going to be a birthday party or any acknowledgement from Mother Talzin. According to Lux, she didn’t even celebrate Christmas, Halloween, or any other major holiday. She really was a witch. 

On the night before Hardcase’s birthday, Rex made up his mind to sneak into the kitchen for supplies and bake a little cake. Surely Mother Talzin wouldn’t miss a few eggs or some flour and sugar. He remembered a recipe for a mug cake that Mom had taught him. After carefully stirring up the batter, Rex popped the mug into the microwave and watched it spin for a few minutes. When the cake came out, it actually didn’t look too bad. The center was sunken in and it was a little undercooked, but it was passable. 

The brothers decided to sneak into the dark living room right before midnight, and it was there that Rex presented Hardcase with his cake. Hardcase teased him because it was chewy and it kinda sucked, but Mother Talzin hardly gave them sweets, so he appreciated it nonetheless. They whisper-sang happy birthday and Hardcase pretended to blow out a candle before he started eating. Jesse looked at him expectantly. 

“Well, what did you wish for?”

A thick silence fell over the group at the innocent question, and Rex exchanged glances with Fives and Echo. It was obvious what they were all wishing for. Thankfully, Hardcase knew how to break the tension. 

“I can’t tell you, dummy. Then it won’t come true. But let me know if Mother Talzin falls down the stairs tomorrow and lands on her--”

Rex narrowed his eyes at Hardcase, who simply grinned back. 

“--face. That’s what I was gonna say.”

Fives cleared his throat to get everyone’s attention. “Now that that’s done, I can give you your real birthday present.” He revealed a small plastic bag that he’d been hiding behind his back and presented it to Hardcase, who grabbed it and dumped out the contents. Rex craned his head forward in the dark to see what it was. He didn’t know Fives had gotten Hardcase something for his birthday, and Rex immediately saw why his brother hadn’t mentioned it before. 

“Fireworks? Fives!” Rex hissed. “Where did you get these?”

Fives shrugged and leaned back. “Found ‘em. Didn’t I, Echo?”

“Sure. They’re everywhere right now.”

Echo was right about that. The 4th of July was coming up, and the number of pop-up firework tents seemed to grow every day. Still, Rex sincerely doubted Fives had “found” this many high-quality fireworks, and Rex knew he didn’t have any money. 

Among the fairly innocent sparklers, smoke bombs, and firecrackers sat the real prize: Roman candles. Hardcase let out a quiet whoop when he saw them and picked up one to examine. “We’re gonna light these tomorrow.”

Rex examined the pile with quiet disapproval. He knew his brothers were going to light the fireworks no matter what he said, so he gave them one warning. 

“Don’t do it near the house. Mother Talzin will kill us if she finds out you guys are messing around with these things.”

“Aw, Rex. Don’t be so uptight,” Fives said. “We’re gonna do it in the field behind the house. It’ll be completely safe. You can even supervise if you want.” He snickered, and Rex resisted rolling his eyes. 

“Okay, time to go back to bed. We have to get back to our rooms before Mother Talzin sees that we’re awake. Happy birthday, Hardcase.” Rex shooed his brothers back to their rooms and gave Hardcase strict instructions to hide the fireworks where Mother Talzin wouldn’t see them. He could only imagine what she’d do if she found out. 

Despite Rex’s reluctance, Fives and Hardcase were determined to set off the fireworks the next day. Part of Rex couldn’t blame them. They rarely got to do anything fun or exciting, and since it was summer, they didn’t even have school as a distraction. This was the most entertainment they’d had since they arrived at the home. 

As usual, Mother Talzin and her witches were out of the house and the boys were left to fend for themselves. Hardcase convinced his brothers to come out to the field behind the house that evening to watch him set off the fireworks with Fives’ help. Rex stood off to the side, disapproval visible on his face as he held Kix and Jesse’s hands to keep them out of the way. “You should back up further from the house.”

Fives waved Rex off as he concentrated on lighting a match he’d stolen from Mother Talzin’s cigarette stash. “They’re just smoke bombs. They’re not gonna hurt anybody.” He handed the match to Hardcase, who lit several at once and tossed them into the air. Hardcase laughed as the smoke bombs spun and hit the ground, spreading red, green, and blue smoke. Rex let go of Kix and Jesse so they could run through the smoke and kick at the smoke bombs as they fizzled out.

It was entertaining for a few minutes, but Hardcase was anxious to get to the really fun part. He lit sparklers for Jesse and Kix so they would be distracted and wouldn’t come near the other fireworks. Rex knelt down in the grass as Fives and Echo set up the Roman candles. 

“Fives, are you sure you know what you’re doing?”

Fives scoffed. “Of course I do. Now, everybody back up. The package says these babies can travel pretty far.”

Rex made Kix and Jesse back up to a safe distance as Fives, Echo, and Hardcase each lit their own Roman candle. Once the fuses were lit, the brothers made a mad dash to the sidelines to watch them go off. Hardcase’s candle went off first, shooting blue stars into the sky. It was getting dark, so they could see the colors against the setting sun. Rex relaxed when he realized nothing was going wrong, nobody was blowing up, and nothing was on fire. He had to admit, the fireworks were cool to watch, and it was nice to have something fun to do for a change. Echo’s candle went off next, and Kix counted the balls of light as they arched across the sky. 

“Three… four… five! Did you see it, Rex? Did you see?”

“Yeah, I saw.” Rex laughed at Kix’s enthusiasm. “Your counting is getting better.”

“Uh-huh! Echo helped me.”

Rex watched the first two candles fizzle out and realized the one that Fives lit had never gone off. Fives was visibly disappointed. “Stupid dud. I should go get it.”

“Wait.” Rex stopped Fives before he could run out to collect the charred remains. “It could still go off. Hold on.”

Fives was annoyed, but he humored Rex and waited to see what would happen. About thirty seconds later, the third Roman candle started to smoke and launched a few stars. Hardcase let out a cheer as he watched them soar. “Look! It looks like a comet!”

Rex was smiling until he realized that this Roman candle had fallen over somewhat, skewing the trajectory. Instead of shooting straight up, the firework was launching sideways. The brothers watched with growing horror as the firey balls started to rain down close to the house. 

“Oh, fuck,” Fives whispered, his eyes growing to the size of dinner plates as one of the glittering balls launched straight through the kitchen window, breaking the glass and setting a small fire within. 

Fear seized the core of Rex’s very being, and he was reacting before he could even fully process what just happened. He screamed at his brothers to stay where they were and sprinted towards the house. Saw threw open the back door just as Rex reached it, coughing as he ushered out the other boys. “What the hell did you do? Hey-- HEY! You can’t go in there!” 

Rex rushed to turn on the water supply in the garden and grabbed the hose from where it lay coiled on the ground. He hauled the hose towards the back door, praying it would be long enough. Rex was stopped in his tracks when the hose got caught and he was jerked back. The flames in the kitchen were growing as Rex desperately yanked on the line. “Come on! COME ON!”

Finally, the hose came free and Rex made it inside. He sprayed down the kitchen table, making sure to douse anything that could potentially catch on fire. Saw stood behind him and watched in horror. “How the hell did this happen?”

Rex stood in the middle of the kitchen, soaking wet and staring at the smoking remains of the kitchen table. “It… was an accident.” His head snapped up when he heard the front door open. Mother Talzin was home, and her timing couldn’t be worse. 

Three things happened simultaneously. Mother Talzin came through the front door and walked to the kitchen to see the broken window and remains of the fire. Her mouth opened up to release what was sure to be a piercing screech to demand what the hell happened. Saw closed his eyes and took a breath as he stepped forward, ready to take a punishment that was sure to be even worse than the last. But Rex beat him to it. 

Pushing Saw aside, Rex stood in front of Mother Talzin and set his shoulders back. “It was me.”

Mother Talzin stared down at Rex, her beady eyes searching his for the truth. “Explain yourself.”

“We were setting off fireworks in the back. One of them… well, it was too close to the house and it came in through the window. The table caught on fire and I put it out.” Rex looked down at his hands and realized he was still holding the dripping hose, so he dropped it. 

“Fireworks?” Mother Talzin hissed. “In my house? Of all the reckless, dangerous, idiotic things you could’ve done--” She grabbed Rex by the ear and got so close to his face that he could smell her reeking breath. “This is the last time you cross me, boy. Saw!” She whipped her head around to look at him. “Get my belt.”

Saw stiffened, and for one awful moment, Rex thought he actually might do it. Rex deserved it, after all. The fire really was his fault and he’d gotten Saw punished weeks ago for something that he didn’t do. But then Saw straightened to his full height and stared down at Mother Talzin with all the hatred and acidity he could muster. “No.”

“What did you say?”

“I said…” Saw clenched his fists so hard his hands shook. “No. Go fuck yourself.” 

Mother Talzin snarled, but with almost a dozen boys standing around her with visible loathing in their eyes, she knew better than to fight him then and there. She shoved Rex to the floor and stormed off to find her phone. “The six of you are going back to whatever hellhole you crawled out of. I want you out of my house!” 

As soon as she was out of the room, Saw turned to Rex and hauled him to his feet. “Go. Go lock yourself in the bedroom with your brothers and don’t come out until I say so.”

“But Saw--”

“I said go! Do it now!”

Rex grabbed his brothers and ran. His heart was beating so fast that he felt faint, but he managed to make it into the bedroom and locked them all inside. Echo was holding Kix in his arms, and Jesse was clinging to Hardcase’s leg as they all stared at Rex. They could still hear Mother Talzin screaming downstairs. 

It was dead silent in the room. Rex slowly sat down on his bed, and his brothers piled on next to him. Fives, who Rex had never seen cry in his entire life, was wiping away tears. 

“I’m sorry. This is all my fault. If I hadn’t gotten the fireworks, if I hadn’t insisted we set them off--”

“No.” Rex took in a shaky breath to calm his racing heart. “It was an accident. It’s not your fault. She’s a psycho. There’s nothing we can do now.”

Kix wiggled out of Echo’s arms and crawled over to Rex so he could lay his head in his brother’s lap. Rex held onto Kix as the screaming died down and it drew later into the evening. Saw came to the room after a few hours had passed. 

“Hey, it’s me. Open up, kid.” 

Rex got up from the bed and opened the door for Saw, who slipped inside. “Okay, here’s the deal. The witch was pretty fucking pissed, but she’s calmer now. Your social worker is gonna be here in the morning to pick you up so they can figure something out.” Saw paused and looked at the brothers. Rex noticed a fresh bruise under his eye and some scratches on his arms. “Look, you should all sleep in here tonight. Keep the door locked. Me and Lux are gonna stay in the room across the hall with the other kids. Just… remember something for me. No matter what she says, no matter what happens, don’t let anybody tell you you’re worthless, or unloved, or anything like that. Stick together and nobody can hurt you, okay?”

Rex nodded mutely as he looked at Saw. He didn’t have words to describe how grateful he felt. 

“Like I said, stay in here until the morning. If anything happens, I’ll come get you.” Saw stood up and turned to go, but something made him pause and he turned to look at Rex again. He put a hand on his head and awkwardly ruffled Rex’s short, dark hair. “You’re alright, kid.” Then Saw disappeared into the hallway. 

None of them got any sleep that night. When Luminara showed up to collect the boys early in the morning, Mother Talzin put on her charming act and pretended like she hadn’t been screaming like a banshee and tearing up the house just a few hours earlier. Luminara sighed when she saw the boys out in front of the house with their backpacks by their feet, a sad sight to behold.

“Oh, Rex. What kind of trouble did you boys get into?”

Rex simply shrugged and looked down at his feet. “Where are we going, Miss Luminara?’

Luminara studied the boys for a moment before she gestured for them to follow her to the car. “I wasn’t able to find you all a home together on such short notice, so you’ll be separated into two different homes. It’s all temporary. I promise we’ll work on a more permanent solution.” 

Their worst fear was coming true. The brothers were being separated, and they had no one to blame but themselves. What would happen once they were split up? Would they see each other again, or was Luminara lying when she said it was only temporary? 

Rex climbed in the car, feeling sick and sad and exhausted all at once. He sat up front with Luminara as his brothers piled into the back of the van. Fives wordlessly helped Kix into his car seat before buckling himself in. Looking back at the house, Rex could see Saw standing in the upstairs window of what had once been their shared bedroom. Saw lifted his hand in goodbye, and Rex waved back as the car pulled away.


	3. Chapter 3

Rex often thought to himself that if he had known what was going to happen after the separation, he would’ve fought harder against it. 

Their broken little family was just that; splintered, fractured into two halves that were in no way equal. Luminara did her best, but in the end, the brothers ended up in two different foster homes separated by nearly 30 miles. The couple that took Rex also took Jesse and Kix, leaving Hardcase, Fives, and Echo on their own with the second foster family. Rex felt fortunate that he got to stay with his two youngest brothers so he could watch over them, but it still hurt like hell to leave Fives, Echo, and Hardcase behind. Before Rex, Jesse, and Kix left to go to their new home, they had a big group hug. Hardcase held on the tightest even if he acted like he wasn’t upset. 

“You’re gonna come visit every week, right?” Echo asked when they broke apart. Rex nodded and took Kix and Jesse’s hands. 

“Every week. Miss Luminara already said she arranged it. We’ll still be together; I promise.”

That promise stayed true for about a month. Caroline and Joe, the couple who was fostering Rex, Jesse, and Kix, were perfectly welcoming to the boys when they first arrived at their home. They had no other children and were quite wealthy, so their house was huge and they could afford for each of the boys to have their own bedroom. Jesse and Kix were thrilled to explore the house and giant backyard that had a swing set installed, but Rex was uneasy from the start. 

Caroline and Joe quickly grew tired of chaperoning the boys back and forth to see their brothers, and they started limiting their calls and visits. Caroline was visibly agitated by Fives, Echo, and Hardcase’s tendencies towards roughhousing and rowdiness. Yelling, shoving, wrestling, and running around was just how they always connected with each other. With the brothers in obvious earshot, she pulled Luminara aside to speak about them with disdain.

“His name is _Fives_? What kind of parent names their child such an odd thing? And… Hardcase? He can’t really be called that.”

Luminara looked at Caroline coolly. Rex got the sense that she didn’t like their new foster mother much either. “It’s what they like to be called. I respect their wishes.” 

“What strange boys. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Despite Caroline’s reservations, she reluctantly called the brothers by their chosen names. It helped that Rex and Jesse had names that were a bit more normal. Even so, Caroline and Joe’s dislike of Rex’s brothers didn’t end with just their names. She often referred to them as hooligans or thugs, which grated on Rex’s nerves. She didn’t bother hiding exactly what she thought of Fives, Echo, and Hardcase, and she made it clear that under no circumstances would she allow Rex, Jesse, and Kix to act like them. They had strict rules in place. Take your shoes off when you enter the house. Ask before getting food out of the fridge or pantry. Always be respectful and don’t raise your voice. Don’t close your bedroom door. Don’t use the phone without permission. Rex felt guilty sitting down on Caroline’s pristine white couch without asking first. 

Caroline became adept at brushing off Rex’s worries about his brothers. Their visits dropped from every week to once every two weeks, then once every three, and finally once a month. There wasn’t much Rex could do about the situation. Caroline and Joe controlled every aspect of their lives; who they talked to, where they lived, and even how they dressed. Jesse and Kix didn’t quite understand what was going on, but they knew they missed their brothers. Caroline and Joe were determined to mold the boys in their image.

“Private school?” Rex stared down at the glossy pamphlet in his hand. School had already started back up, and Rex knew he was behind because of all the bouncing around foster homes. He had expected to be attending the public middle school that was nearby, but instead, he was being sent off to some elite private school with a bunch of stuck-up rich kids. Rex wrinkled his nose as he flipped through the pages. He had never seen a school that looked so boring, and he already wasn’t a big fan of school in general. 

“It’ll be good for you,” Caroline promised, reaching over to push Rex’s hair back from his forehead. She did that more now that Rex’s hair was getting long. “Luminara told me you started falling behind last year, and I know you’re a smart boy. I can tell you’re not like your brothers. You’re very bright. You just need a little push.”

The slight on his brothers was nothing new. Rex huffed softly and tossed the pamphlet aside. “I don’t want to go to a private school. They don’t even have any sports except tennis and chess. Those aren’t real sports.”

Caroline laughed with the air of someone who knew something Rex didn’t. Her attitude of subtle superiority really pissed Rex off. “Oh, my dear. Just wait until you get there. You’ll learn to like it.”

Rex was absolutely, positively certain that he wasn’t going to attend the stuffy, rich-people private school. But as it turned out, Caroline could make him do whatever she wanted and he couldn’t fight back unless he was being abused. After the ordeal with Mother Talzin, Rex didn’t like his chances of getting away from Caroline and Joe without something drastic happening. 

So Rex found himself standing at the gates of the prestigious college-prep middle school the very next Monday. Seriously, who was already thinking about college? Rex was 12 years old. He didn’t know if he even wanted to go to college. Standing there in the stiff school uniform with his dark hair carefully gelled back, not a single hair out of place, Rex felt like a stranger in his own skin. Everything had changed so fast and he still hadn’t caught up yet. Every time he tried to catch his breath, there was Caroline, a constant force pushing him in the direction she wanted him to go. 

That direction seemed to be far away from his brothers. Since they were only meeting up once a month in person now that school had started, Rex got the other foster mother’s phone number and used the house phone to call her so he could at least talk to Fives, Echo, and Hardcase. None of them had their own cell phones. The transition was particularly hard on Jesse and Kix, and their calls were a lifeline to normalcy. Caroline didn’t know about the calls, but Rex didn’t think they were any of her business. 

One day, Rex, Jesse, and Kix were all sitting in Rex’s room talking on the phone with their brothers when Caroline happened to interrupt the call. She snatched the phone out of their hands and immediately hung up. “Just what do you think you’re doing?”

Jesse made a sound of protest. “Hey! We were just talking to ‘Case and Fives and Echo!”

Caroline pursed her lips and put the phone away in her pocket. “And did you ask permission?”

“No, but--” 

“What have I said about asking permission before you go touching things like this?” Caroline looked at Rex. “You should know better. I’m taking away your phone privileges for two weeks, maybe longer. We’ll see if you’ve proven yourselves responsible then. And no visiting your brothers either. You’re all grounded.”

Rex’s jaw nearly dropped open. “You can’t do that! Fives and Echo’s birthday is next week! You already said we could go over there.” It had already been almost a month since the brothers had seen each other in person. 

Caroline wasn’t at all phased by his concern. “Then I suppose you’ll have to explain to them later why you weren’t able to visit. I’ll call the house and let Angeline know you won’t be coming over or calling. You know better than to disobey my rules like that. If you want to keep arguing, the punishment will be a month.”

Rex stood up quickly to protest, but what could he do? If he argued, Caroline would only extend their punishment. Deflated, Rex slowly sat back down. “Can’t we at least call on their birthday?”

“If I let you do that, it wouldn’t be a punishment, now would it?” Caroline asked. “Now wash up. It’s time for dinner.” 

And just like that, Caroline breezed past it as if she hadn’t just crushed any hope of seeing or speaking to their brothers for two weeks. In the days leading up to Fives and Echo’s birthday, Rex was miserable. He knew they wouldn’t understand why they couldn’t come over, and they’d think it was because he didn’t care. On the day of Fives and Echo’s birthday, Kix and Jesse came to sit in Rex’s room with him.

“Can we give this to Fives and Echo once we see them again?” Kix asked, showing Rex a homemade birthday card he’d made with Jesse. 

Rex tried to smile for them. He didn’t want Jesse and Kix seeing how much their situation was affecting him. “Of course we can. They’ll love it.”

When the day came to end the boys’ punishment two weeks later, Rex approached Caroline as respectfully as possible. “I was hoping since it’s been two weeks and all… well, we’ve been following all your rules and we haven’t gotten in trouble at all. We really wanted to call our brothers to see how they were doing.”

Caroline considered that for a moment and grabbed the house phone before Rex could touch it. “I’ll call Angeline to see if they’re available.” She left the boys waiting in the living room while she disappeared into the kitchen. She was gone for several long minutes. Rex couldn’t hear what Caroline was saying over the phone, but when she came back, she looked sympathetic. 

“I’m sorry. It seems that your brothers are still a little hurt that you weren’t there on their birthday. I tried, but they wouldn’t come to the phone. Maybe next time.”

All Rex could do was sit there in shock. “You’re the one who wouldn’t let us go see them. You said we were grounded.”

“If you hadn’t broken the rules, you wouldn’t have been punished.” Caroline put the phone back in its cradle. “That’s not my fault.”

“But--”

“Let it go. If you keep arguing, I’m going to take away your phone privileges again and it’ll be much longer this time. Don’t get an attitude with me.”

Rex felt anger boiling up in his stomach, hot and heavy and sickening. Jesse and Kix looked at him as if they expected him to do something, but he knew if he spoke up, Caroline would only punish them again. There was no way to win. He had to play by her rules, or he knew what would happen. All they could do was wait. 

And wait they did. Rex asked Caroline nearly every day to call up the house and see if his brothers would talk to him. Most days, Caroline brushed him off, but a few times she agreed to call Angeline and ask. There was always an excuse as to why they couldn’t come to the phone. Either they were busy, or they didn’t want to talk, or they weren’t at the house. Rex started asking less and less, and eventually, Caroline snapped at him to stop asking altogether. His brothers didn’t want to talk to him. They moved on. They had their own lives now, away from Rex. They were happier there. 

What if Caroline was right? Fives, Echo, and Hardcase must hate him, or they’d be returning their calls. Had he really messed up that badly?

Rex floated through his days, numb with a hole in his life that he couldn’t fill. The months had stretched on to a year, and then more. It looked like they were staying where they were for good. When another birthday passed with no mention of calling or seeing his brothers, Rex promised himself that when he turned 18, he would find a way to get his brothers and take them far away from this place. They had to be together again. They were the only family Rex had left. 

***

It was early afternoon, and Rex was sitting at the table doing homework again. As his pencil drifted across the page, writing nonsense he wasn’t even sure he understood, Rex’s mind floated far away from the cold confines of the kitchen back to a time when he would spend an afternoon like this running around outside with his brothers. Behind their house, there had been a creek they visited almost every day. It was barely more than a trickle, but the brothers would squat down in the mud to watch the water run over the rocks and hunt for frogs along the bank. 

Even as little as he was, Jesse was the best at catching frogs and would chase Kix around with one held in his outstretched hand, making Kix squeal in delight. They’d stay outside for hours until it started getting dark and their mother made them come inside for dinner. 

_Look how dirty you boys are. Didn’t I tell you not to play in the mud?_ She’d scold them fondly, and sometimes she’d take her thumb and wipe a little bit of dirt off of Rex’s face. Rex’s pencil paused on his paper, and he reached up to gently touch his cheek, right where she would’ve. Tears welled up in his eyes, but not just for his mother. He missed those afternoons. 

Now, Rex sat inside with his textbooks and homework spread out in front of him as the world went on outside. Caroline and Joe had such a big backyard, and he imagined playing soccer and football outside with his brothers on the plush green grass. It would be tackle football, of course; Fives and Echo would insist. They both liked to play a little dirty and then insist it was actually the others who were cheating. The memory of being mercilessly thrown to the ground by Fives and having his face rubbed into the grass actually made Rex smile, and wasn’t that strange. He couldn’t remember the last time a memory had made him happy. 

The smile slid off his face when the phone rang, snapping him out of his daydream. Rex’s pencil started moving again, stopping only when he got to a problem he didn’t know how to solve. He started to look up a similar problem in his notes from earlier, and there was the phone again; practically ringing off the hook with no one to answer it. Joe was still at work, and Caroline must’ve been out back tending to her garden, so she wouldn’t have heard it. 

Rex paused, staring at the house phone in its cradle. He wasn’t allowed to answer the phone. But what if it was important? Should he go around back to find Caroline? Rex set his jaw. Fuck it. He wasn’t a kid anymore, and he could answer a damn phone. Rex picked up the phone and hit the talk button. 

“Hello?”

Immediately, Rex’s ear drum was assaulted with hollering so loud that he jerked the phone away and stared in confusion. “What-- who is this?”

Someone yelled “SHUT UP!” in the background, and a voice finally came through. “Rex! Thank God it’s you! Where have you been? Did they lock you in the basement?”

Rex’s heart swelled when he immediately recognized his brother’s voice. “Fives… it’s you.”

“Of course it’s me, who else would it be? Anyway, we were starting to think you were dead.”

“Fives, I’m… so sorry.” Rex swallowed the lump in his throat. “I know I missed your birthday, and I know you and Echo are mad at me, and I understand why you didn’t want to talk to me--”

“Mad? Us?” That was Echo now. “We’re not mad. We’re worried. Who cares about our birthday? You haven’t talked to us in months. What’s been going on?”

Rex felt a sudden cold wash over his body. “Wait... you’re not angry about me missing your birthday? What about when Caroline called? She said you refused to talk to me.”

“Called? When? Nobody’s called us in a long time. We keep trying to call you and Caroline always says you’re busy.” 

Rex stared out the kitchen window into the back yard. From here, he could see Caroline bent over in the garden, calmly pulling out and tossing the weeds that were surrounding her rose bushes. “She lied. She... _fucking_ lied to me. Every time I asked her to call, every time she said you weren’t there or you couldn’t talk to me…” His hands were shaking. He could barely hold the phone to his ear. 

“Whoa, Rex…” Echo’s voice filtered through the phone, subdued now after his initial happiness at talking to Rex. “What happened?”

“She’s been manipulating me this whole time. She told me you guys didn’t want to see me because you were angry that I left you. She said you moved on.” Rex let it all out in a rush. Now that he was saying it out loud, he heard how ridiculous it was. His brain was working a million miles an hour to understand everything that had happened. “She wanted me to forget you. To forget you’re my brothers. But I won’t, no matter what she does. Even if you hate me. No matter how long we’re separated. We’re a family. I’m not their family.”

“I knew something fishy was going on,” Fives muttered. “We gotta find a way to get you and Jesse and Kix back. We have to be a family again. They can’t keep up apart like this.”

Rex’s hand tightened around the receiver in his hand. “I’ll handle things from my end.” His eyes bore holes into Caroline’s back as she stood up, dusted herself off, and carried her gardening tools back into the shed. “By the time I’m done, they’re not gonna want to keep us around.”

Rex heard his brothers’ laughter on the other side of the phone. “Fuck them up, Rex!” Hardcase whooped. Rex shook his head. He really missed those idiots. “Don’t worry. I have a plan. Soon, we’re gonna be together again. And I’m not gonna let anybody split us apart.”

***

Caroline and Joe liked order. They liked pristine countertops, towels folded a certain way, and dust-free shelves with minimal knick-knacks. They liked crisp white dress shirts with perfectly straight ties, and hair combed down with just a little bit of gel. Most of all, they liked polite little boys with nice smiles and straight backs when they sat, boys who knew how to keep their mouths shut and obey what they’re told. 

Rex was none of those things. And it was time Caroline and Joe found out. 

Standing in front of the mirror, Rex felt more like himself than he had in months. Gone was his school uniform; the clean white dress shirt and clunky dress shoes, the stiff trousers and the tie that strangled him. In their place was freedom and happiness like Rex hadn’t felt since he’d arrived at the home. Jesse and Kix were playing quietly in their room, and Caroline was busy making dinner in the kitchen. Joe had just arrived home and was in the living room watching TV. Rex had plenty of time for what he needed to do. 

The first thing that had to go was the awful, sticky gel that kept Rex’s dark hair out of his face. He hated keeping it this long, but Caroline had refused to let him cut it since she said it made him look like a thug. But it wasn’t her choice anymore. After rinsing out his hair and drying it most of the way, Rex grabbed the hair and beard trimmer Joe kept in the bathroom cabinet and turned it on the third setting. He wanted it short, but not completely buzzed. Running the trimmer though his hair was the most liberating thing Rex had ever felt. Thousands of strands rained down around him, covering the sink, the floor, and his shoulders. Rex loved it. 

Once he was satisfied with the cut, it was time for part two. Rex had already mixed up a solution of hydrogen peroxide and water, and now he was ready to go. He was no expert by any means, but he was certainly determined. Rex used his hands to work the solution into his newly buzzed head, which was a poor decision because it turned out that hydrogen peroxide really burns the skin after a while. The first round didn’t quite get him there, so Rex had to apply a second and then a third round of the solution to get him where he wanted. It didn’t bother him; he was perfectly willing to be patient. 

A little over an hour later and Rex was staring at a completely new person. He thought it made him look older, and blonde definitely suited him. Rex wasn’t able to get it completely to white blonde, but it was pretty good for a hack dye job. Now he wanted to surprise Kix and Jesse. 

Kix’s eyes widened to the size of dinner plates and he yelled out before Jesse could stop him. “Your head looks like a tennis ball!”

Rex chuckled as he closed the bedroom door and sat down with his brothers on the floor. “I talked to Fives and Echo today.”

“I thought they didn’t wanna talk to us,” Jesse said as Kix stood up to pet Rex’s stubbly hair curiously. “Caroline said they were mad that we didn’t call on their birthday. She said… they moved on.”

“Caroline and Joe lied to us. They’re trying to change who we are and keep us away from our brothers,” Rex said. “Well, not anymore. I’m tired of their rules and I’m tired of them acting like we’re a family. We’re not, and we never will be what they want us to be. We already have a family.”

“We’re gonna go live with Fives and Echo and Hardcase?” Jesse asked excitedly. Rex hesitated. 

“I’m not sure yet. But we’ll figure something out.” Rex stood up. “Come on. It’s time for dinner.” He couldn’t help but let out a small smirk. It felt good to be a little devious. Fives would be proud. 

To say that Caroline was angry would be the understatement of the century. 

“I have never seen such a sight in my life!” Caroline exclaimed as she grabbed Rex by the shoulders and forcefully inspected his hair. “What have you done? You look like you belong in prison!”

Rex let her splutter and rage at him for another moment before he shoved her back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I know you lied to me about Fives and Echo.”

Caroline stared at Rex with a dumbfounded expression on her face, and Rex felt smug knowing for once, he had the upper hand. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“No more lying. I’m tired of this.” Rex pulled Jesse and Kix close to him. “We’re not your dolls to dress up. We’re not… objects. These are my brothers. My family. And Fives, Echo, and Hardcase are my family too. No matter what you do, you aren’t gonna keep us apart.”

Caroline’s expression hardened and she grabbed Rex’s arm in a vice like grip. “How dare you speak to me like that? We have given you everything you could have possibly asked for. A home, a good school, nice clothes, and food in your stomachs. You’re disrespectful and completely ungrateful.”

Rex struggled to get out of her grip. “Let go of me!”

Caroline wasn’t finished with her tirade. “I know what those boys did at your last home! I know they’re destructive little delinquents. But Luminara told me you’re not like them. You’re better. You can learn how to be better!”

“I don’t want to be better! I want to be with my brothers!” 

“You’re never going to be with your brothers again!” Caroline shouted. She finally let go of Rex’s arm and grabbed his chin, forcing him to look up at her. “Get that through your head! Yes, I lied to you. It doesn’t matter. You’re in my house now, and you’re under my control! You’ll do what I say and you’ll be happy about it! Am I clear?” 

Rex stared at her with the most hateful expression he could muster and stayed silent. In that moment, Saw’s words from so long ago came back to him. _Go fuck yourself._ Even if he didn’t say them out loud, the sentiment hung heavy in the air. 

Out of the corner of his eye, Rex saw movement as his brothers came out from behind him. Suddenly, Kix was next to Caroline, pulling on the arm that held Rex with all of his strength.

“Lady, you wanna know how I got my name? _This_ is how!” Kix reared back and aimed for Caroline’s shin. She howled and clutched her ankle 

“Joe! That little monster kicked me! Do something!”

Joe, whose tendency to let his wife handle everything revealed who really wore the pants in the relationship, finally took interest in what was going on. He tried to grab Kix, but Kix was small and darted through his legs to get away. “C’mere, you little shit!” Joe grunted as he grabbed for Kix again. Rex shoved past Caroline to get to his brother. 

“Leave him alone!” 

_Smack_! The sound reverberated around the room, though Rex could hardly hear it from where he was sprawled on the floor. His head spun, and he thought he tasted blood in his mouth. Over a year of taking Caroline and Joe’s shit, and this is where it got him. Laid out on the cold floor, hurting on the outside and the inside, feeling as small as he felt that day when Mother Talzin nearly skinned him open with her belt. Rex closed his eyes and shook his head to clear it as he rose to his feet. The room was dead silent as Rex slowly brought a hand up to touch his tender face. His fingers came away from his mouth covered in blood. 

“You’re wrong,” Rex said, looking Caroline dead in the eye. Joe had recoiled back, as if surprised by his own actions. “You don’t control us. And no one ever will.”

They struck a silent agreement. Caroline picked up the phone to call Luminara, and when she got there, Rex didn’t say a word. His, Jesse’s, and Kix’s backpacks were already packed and ready to go. Luminara was horrified when she saw the bruise on his face, but Rex brushed off her concern. 

“Caroline and Joe decided we could have a sleepover with our brothers tonight.” Rex looked at the couple, daring them to challenge him. Caroline was too busy trying to hide her limp to notice. “Can you drive us there?”

The reunion made Rex and his brothers happier than they had been in months. As soon as they stepped out of the car, Rex saw Fives, Echo, and Hardcase barreling down the sidewalk to them. Rex laughed when Fives tackled him to the ground in a hug, pulling back to only to look at and touch his new hair. 

“Wow! Tell me you’re gonna keep your hair like this. It’s badass.”

Rex grinned and reached up to touch it too. He liked the feel of it. It felt like him. “Yeah. I’m gonna keep the hair.”


	4. Chapter 4

Rex never forgot the promise he made to himself during that dark period of his life when he’d been truly terrified that he was going to lose his brothers. 

Being in the foster system meant that the brothers didn’t have much of a choice on where they ended up, but Luminara did her best. She was able to keep Fives, Echo, and Hardcase together in the same home, and after bouncing Rex, Jesse, and Kix around to several different places, they ended up just a few neighborhoods away from their brothers in a group home with a few other kids. It was the best possible solution given the circumstances. At the very least, the brothers were able to see each other at school, and their foster parents allowed them freedom to call and visit each other. 

As they grew older, the brothers had to seriously consider what was going to happen to them once they got out of foster care. Rex was the oldest, and his 18th birthday was approaching so fast it made his head spin. Being out of the system meant being away from his brothers again. His foster parents had made it clear they wouldn’t support him for much longer once he was of age. There was really only one solution that made sense. 

Rex was going to have to adopt his brothers. It sounded crazy, and it definitely was. He was still a kid himself. How was he supposed to take care of his five brothers on his own? And yet, he’d been taking care of them practically his whole life. Rex started researching the adoption process on his own as his birthday crept closer. He hadn’t told Luminara his plans yet because he knew she’d object, and he wanted to know what he was up against. 

It was his senior year, and Rex was just a few months away from graduating and being done with education for the foreseeable future. Even so, he could hardly concentrate on school with more important things on his mind. During his fifth period English class, Rex was slumped over in his seat, idly making doodles in the empty notebook in front of him. After a few heavy seconds of silence from the teacher, Rex dimly became aware of a few dozen pairs of eyes staring at him. He snapped back to reality when he realized his teacher was asking him a question. Rex’s eyes darted around the room as he sat up in his seat, looking for some clue as to how he should respond.

“Uh… could you repeat the question?”

His classmates snickered, and Rex sank back down. His teacher sighed and looked around for another victim. “Mr. Vizsla, perhaps you could tell me what time period Othello is set in?”

Pre Vizsla smirked at Rex as he responded. “It’s set in the sixteenth century. You know, like it says in the reading.” Rex fought the urge to roll his eyes. What an asshole. 

“Correct. Now, if you’ll open your books to the forward, we can discuss the context of the time period…”

Rex turned the rest of the class out. It wasn’t that he disliked Mr. Kenobi. In fact, he was one of the only teachers at the school that truly cared about his students and bothered to get to know them. Kenobi knew about the brothers’ situation, and he was kind enough to cut Rex quite a bit of slack. On top of school, Rex had taken on a part-time job at a local grocery store and often worked 30 to 40 hours a week in an effort to save money. Most days, he showed up at school with bags under his eyes, dead tired and fighting to stay awake at his desk. 

Kenobi had shocked Rex by offering his classroom as a place to rest whenever Rex needed it. Kenobi had an old couch in the corner of his room, and Rex wasn’t ashamed to say he’d slept there a few times when Kenobi was out of his room during his lunch period. In fact, Kenobi was probably the only reason Rex hadn’t dropped out of school yet to work full time. Rex was just a few credits away from earning his high school diploma, but he was also about to turn 18 and he wanted to start the process of becoming his brothers’ legal guardian as soon as he could. When he came to her, Luminara had made it clear that there were quite a few hurdles to jump through before that could be a possibility. 

“Rex, I know you care for your brothers very much,” Luminara started. “But I want you to consider how much pursuing this path will change your life. You’re very young, and right now, you have a lot of options in front of you. Your brothers are in good homes. You can still visit and be the role model they need without taking on all this responsibility.” 

“I know it’s a lot of responsibility. But the truth is that they’ve been my responsibility ever since our mother died,” Rex said. “I can’t abandon them. I can’t just walk away from my brothers.”

Luminara sighed. “I’m not sure you’ve thought this all the way through.”

“With all due respect, I have thought this all the way through,” Rex replied. “I’ve been working part-time ever since I was old enough to get a job. I have money saved up. Once I’m done with school, I’m going to start working full time. I’ve already looked at apartments and found one I can afford. It’s not much, but it’ll be enough for us.”

“I don’t doubt your determination.” Luminara sifted through the papers in front of her that Rex had brought detailing his financial situation and future plan. “But with your current income, I don’t see how it’s feasible for you to fully support all your brothers. In fact, I have serious doubts as to whether you could actually support yourself on this amount.”

“I know it doesn’t look good for me. But you have to consider that it’s really just going to be me, Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix in a couple months.” Rex looked down at his hands and fought back the lump in his throat. “Fives and Echo are enlisting in the Marine Corps when they turn 17. They’ll be stuck around here for a little bit before they go to basic training, but then… they’ll be gone. And Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix will need me more than ever. So you have to understand why I want to do this.”

Luminara’s expression softened. Though she sometimes gave him a hard time, she really had a soft spot for Rex. “I do understand. My job is not just to protect your brothers, but also to protect you.” She sighed. “Unfortunately, I have to tell you that right now you’re not eligible to adopt.” Rex started to protest, and Luminara held up a hand to stop him. “These aren’t my rules. You don’t meet the age requirements. In this state, you have to be 21 to adopt, and you must meet certain guidelines on the age difference between yourself and the child you want to adopt. But just because you can’t adopt doesn’t mean you can’t become a guardian.”

Rex thought that over for a moment. “So it’s not adoption, but I’d be their legal guardian? They would still come live with me and I’d have full responsibility for them?”

“That’s correct. You would still have to prove to the court that you are fit to be their guardian,” Luminara said. She looked him in the eye and held his gaze. “Are you certain this is what you want?”

“Yes. Without a doubt,” Rex replied firmly. 

“Then the first thing I would advise you to do is to find a way to increase your income,” Luminara said. “Ultimately, the courts are going to make their decision based on what’s in your brothers’ best interests. You have to prove that you can take care of them financially, and not just the basics like food, shelter, and clothing. What if there’s an emergency and one of them is taken to the hospital? Do you have an emergency fund? What’s your plan if you’re indisposed and you need someone else to watch them? These are the kinds of things you need to be thinking about.”

Rex nodded. “I’ll figure out a plan, I promise. And I’ll start working more hours and get a better job.”

“Good. I know you’re fully capable of doing this, but I’m going to be honest with you. This is going to be a long and difficult road. Taking care of your brothers by yourself will come with a lot more responsibility than you’ve ever had before. But remember…” Luminara gave him a gentle smile. “You’re not alone. You may think you have to do this by yourself, but that’s not true. If you need help, ask for it.”

That was easier said than done. Rex was struggling to find a job that would be better than what he already had with no experience outside of bagging groceries. His only solution was to work more hours, which would mean either sacrificing sleep or dropping out of high school with just one semester left. Rex was determined to finish. He knew it would look better for him in his job search if he had his diploma, but as the weeks wore on, his resolve started to crumble. 

Rex was operating on just a few hours of sleep every day, and it showed both at school and at work. All his teachers had written it off as a bad case of senioritis, or maybe they just assumed Rex didn’t care. Their opinion of him didn’t matter much to Rex. At this point, school was just a formality. 

There was only one teacher that noticed Rex’s declining state. Rex was packing up his backpack after 5th period English one afternoon as the rest of the students hurried out of the classroom, eager to talk to their friends in the hallway or buy a drink from the vending machines by the cafeteria. Rex rubbed at his tired eyes as he slung his backpack over his shoulder. He wondered if he could get away with sleeping in his 6th period history class. Just as he was about to walk out the door, his teacher’s voice stopped him. 

“Mr. Fett? Would you mind staying a few minutes after? I’ll call your teacher next period to let them know why you’re late,” Mr. Kenobi offered. 

Rex turned to look at Kenobi. “Is… there a problem?” He knew he hadn’t been the best student lately, but normally Kenobi would let it slide. 

“Well… yes and no.” Kenobi sat at his desk and offered Rex the seat right next to it. “Please. It’ll only be a few minutes.”

With a sigh, Rex trudged over to Kenobi’s desk and sat down. If he was in trouble, he wished Kenobi would just tell him already. “Did I do something?”

“It’s more like what you haven’t been doing.” Kenobi folded his hands in front of himself. “Last semester, you were one of my best students. You’re very bright and I know you have a lot of potential. But in the last month, I’ve noticed your participation has been declining. You barely turn in your work, and during my class, you’re falling asleep more often than not. I’ve been wondering if something is going on outside of school.”

Rex shifted in his seat. “Not much, just… well, I’ve been working a lot lately. Just trying to save up some money, that’s all. Guess I haven’t been getting enough sleep.” 

“How much are you working?”

“Usually 30 or 40 hours a week. Closer to 40 now. I need the money.”

Kenobi’s eyebrows arched upwards. “That’s a lot of hours for a student to be working. I can imagine that’s quite burdensome.” 

Rex rubbed the back of his neck. “It doesn’t bother me. I just need to be done with school so I can work more hours.”

“Mr. Fett… Rex. You’re one of the hardest working students I’ve ever had,” Kenobi said. “But at the rate you’re going, you won’t pass my class. Your grades have slipped well below the acceptable range. I know you need this credit to graduate, and I don’t want to see you miss out on getting your diploma. I’d like to help how I can.”

“Look, I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I have to do this for my brothers,” Rex said. He knew Kenobi wouldn’t understand. How could he? Rex was just 18 years old, the weight of the world on his shoulders, and Mr. Kenobi was a middle-aged English teacher whose most troubling daily dilemma was choosing between chamomile and Earl Grey in the mornings. “I have five younger brothers. I’m going to become their guardian soon. But I can’t do that if I can’t prove that I can support them financially. I have to keep working as much as I can or I’ll never save enough money.”

Kenobi nodded slowly and brought his hand up to stroke his chin. “Ah. I see.” He thought for a moment. “Where do you work?”

“I’m just a bagger at the grocery store. I don’t have any experience, so no one else will hire me.” Rex let some of his frustration slip into his voice. He’d been trying for months to get a better job, but there were hardly any places that paid above minimum wage for a high school kid.

“Do you know anything about auto mechanics? Fixing cars, changing tires, things like that?”

That question took Rex by surprise. “No. I took a shop class last semester, but that’s it.”

“Regardless, I may be able to help.” Kenobi took out a piece of paper and started to write. “My brother runs an auto mechanics shop not far from here. He pays quite well, and he happens to have a soft spot for people in need.” He handed the piece of paper to Rex. “That’s his name and phone number. Give him a call later this week. I’ll speak to him on your behalf. You may not have experience, but I trust that you’re a quick learner. I think you’d do just fine.”

Rex stared at the paper. He was speechless. “You would do that for me?”

“I would. I believe in you, Rex,” Kenobi said. “You may have been dealt a bad hand, but you’ve been working incredibly hard to improve your situation. Not many kids your age could do what you’re doing. If I can help in any small way, then I will be happy to do it.”

Rex carefully folded the piece of paper and slid it into his pocket. He was overwhelmed, and maybe it was just the sleep deprivation, but Kenobi’s words made him feel warm inside. He had accomplished a lot. Maybe it was time he took the outstretched hand offered to him and allowed it to lift him up. “Thank you.”

“You’re very welcome. I trust I’ll see you tomorrow for class after you’ve read chapters 3 and 4 of  _ The Scarlet Letter  _ and filled out the worksheet?”

That made Rex smile as he stood up. “I’ll be there… I can’t guarantee the rest.” He gave Kenobi a mock salute and headed out the door. 

Two days later, Rex hung back after school and called the number on the slip of paper. He knew he was way out of his depth, but if there was even a small chance that this job opportunity could work out, he had to try. Rex nearly chickened out when the phone kept ringing for several long moments, but then there was a click and a chipper voice filtered through the speaker. 

“Skywalker Auto Repair, this is Ahsoka, how can I help you?”

Rex honestly hadn’t expected a girl to answer the phone and immediately felt like an idiot for being sexist. “Oh, uh... Hello. I’m Rex. I’m calling about a job. I’m supposed to talk to Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan Kenobi told me to call.”

“Oh, Obi-Wan! Sure. Let me see if Anakin is busy.” Ahsoka put Rex on hold, and he stood around anxiously for a minute before she came back to the phone. “Sorry, he’s already elbows-deep in a faulty car battery. But he told me to ask when you can stop by the shop so he can meet you and talk about the job.”

Relief washed over Rex. Obi-Wan had pulled through for him. “I can come after school tomorrow. 4pm.”

“4pm… yep, that should work,” Ahsoka said. “We don’t have any appointments at that time. I’ll make sure he knows you’re coming, Rex. I’ll be here tomorrow too.”

“You will? Oh. Good.” Rex awkwardly cleared his throat. “Thank you, Ahsoka.”

“You’re welcome! See you tomorrow.” 

Rex hung up the phone and pulled up his messages. He was just about to text his brothers to see where they were at when he felt a hand clap him on the shoulder so hard he nearly fell over. “Fives! You nearly gave me a heart attack.”

Fives laughed and slung his arm over Rex’s shoulder. Echo materialized on his other side and did the same, leaving Rex squished between the twins as they started walking. “You’re too easy to scare. Who was that on the phone? Your girlfriend?”

Echo snorted. “As if Rex could get a girlfriend!”

Rex shoved them off and walked a little bit ahead. “For your information, that was a phone call about a potential new job. So make fun of me all you want, but I’m doing this for all of you. At least I work, unlike the two of you.”

“Hey, I have a job!”

“Selling contraband soda and candy out of your locker isn’t a job, Fives,” Echo retorted. 

“It is if I’m making money.”

Rex shook his head and glanced around. “Hey, where’s Hardcase? I thought he was going to meet up with us.”

“Nah. He got detention,” Echo replied. “The vice principal caught him skipping class again.”

“That’s the second time this month. If he does it again, he’s going to get suspended,” Rex said. “Guess he’s walking home by himself.” 

“Sucks for him. Hey, Rex.” Fives pointed across the front yard of their high school. “Isn’t that the girl in your history class whose sister got pregnant last year?”

“What? Who are you talking about?”

In one effortless motion, Fives grabbed Rex’s backpack and flipped it over his head. Cursing, Rex struggled against the straps as his brothers raced down the sidewalk and out of the reach of his fury. “FIVES!” Rex righted himself and started to half-heartedly jog after the twins. He didn’t quite have it in him to be angry after getting such good news about the job. All Rex had to do was go in and crush the interview the next day, and he’d be on the road to finally bringing his brothers back together again. Rex was feeling truly optimistic. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you to everyone who has left comments or kudos! It makes me so happy to know people are enjoying my story! I just noticed I'm at 99 kudos... So of course I have to stop to acknowledge our boy 99. A true hero :')

Standing in front of the mirror, Rex frowned at his appearance and tried to smooth down the front of his shirt. It was hopelessly wrinkled, and he didn’t have an iron, so it would just have to do. Behind him, Jesse and Kix were sitting on the bed, making comments that were entirely unhelpful. 

“You look like you’re going on a first date,” Jesse teased. 

“Shut up, Jess. What do you know about dating?”

“That shirt’s too small,” Kix piped up. “Are you really gonna wear that?”

“Yes, I am. I know it’s too small. That’s why I’m going to do this.” Rex rolled up the sleeves of the button down so the cuffs were just below his elbow. It was the only nice shirt he had, and he didn’t have money to buy a new one before his interview. “Don’t you two have something better to do? Like maybe… homework?”

Jesse groaned and flopped back on the bed dramatically. “Rex is a tyrant.”

“Oh, yeah. I’m a real dictator for making you do your homework, brush your teeth, and go to bed on time.” Rex turned away from the mirror and shoved his feet into his boots. “Be good while I’m gone. Homework before TV. Okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” Jesse propped himself up on his elbow. “When are you going to be back?”

“Not sure. Later tonight, probably. Assuming I get the job.” Rex threw on his jacket and checked the time. “Alright, I gotta go. I’ll see you later.” He hurried out the door and to the nearest bus stop, barely making it in time before the doors closed. Rex was lucky enough to find a seat near the back, and he settled in for the ride. 

The closer the bus got to his stop, the faster Rex’s leg bounced up and down. He couldn’t seem to stop it. There was a lot riding on this interview, and Rex knew he couldn’t blow it. Without this job, Rex didn’t stand a chance of getting guardianship of his brothers from the court. He had to prove that he was responsible enough to take care of his brothers. Financial stability was a big part of that; Luminara had made that much clear. 

Rex pressed the button as the bus neared his stop. When he got out, he was surprised to see that the shop was much smaller than he thought it would be. It was plain and unassuming, barely more than a garage with the words “Skywalker’s Auto Repair” emblazoned above the big metal door. Something about it put Rex at ease after the anxious bus ride there, and he realized it was silly to be so intimidated by a job interview. He could do this. He just had to show Anakin that he was responsible and willing to work hard. 

The big garage door in front was open, so Rex stepped inside and looked around. Two legs were sticking out from underneath a beat-up red truck on one side of the garage, and on the other, a young woman in coveralls far too big for her was sifting through a box of tools. When she spotted Rex, she smiled and eagerly waved him over. 

“You must be Rex! I’m Ahsoka. We talked on the phone yesterday.”

“Yeah, that’s right. Nice to meet you.” Rex smiled back at her and held out his hand to shake. She put down the wrench she was holding and grasped his hand firmly. 

“And you too. Come on. Anakin’s in his office.” Ahsoka brought Rex to the back, where there was a private door that led to an office area. Nearly every surface was littered with dirty rags and spare parts, and the filing cabinets were stuffed to the brim with papers. Anakin was stuck behind a desk in the corner, frowning at his computer as he clicked through some files. His coveralls were rolled up over his elbows, and his hands and forearms were tinged with grease. 

“Ahsoka, did you scan in the invoice from yesterday…” Anakin looked up and stopped when he saw Rex standing there, taking in the scene. “Oh, it’s you. Rex, right?” He stood up and shook hands with Rex. “Thanks, Ahsoka. Oh, can you make sure to scan in those invoices from yesterday and today? I can’t find them in the files.”

“Sure thing, boss.” Ahsoka waved at Rex and ducked out of the room so they could have privacy. 

“Sit down, please. Uh… hold on.” Anakin came around the desk to clear off the only other chair in the room. “Okay, Rex. Obi-Wan told me a little bit about you. You’re one of his students?”

“Yes.”

“And how old are you?”

“Just turned 18, sir.” Rex tried to be as polite as possible. Anakin didn’t seem like the kind of guy that cared much about formalities, but his Mom had taught him to always be polite first. 

“Just Anakin is fine. So, tell me… Do you have any kind of experience with mechanics? Fixing cars, messing around with engines, maybe changing tires or something like that?”

“I took a shop class last semester. We learned the basics, just some things about tools and different parts. Other than that, no.” Rex sat up a little straighter. “But I’m willing to learn. I’d do anything you need me to do, even if it’s just cleaning up and taking out the trash.”

Anakin smiled. “Obi-Wan told me you’re a pretty smart kid. He gave you a glowing recommendation, so I’m willing to take his word for it. Would this be your first job or have you worked anywhere else before this?”

“I started working when I was 14. Just bagging and stocking at the grocery store,” Rex said. “I like it there, but…” He looked down at his hands. It was awkward explaining his situation to a stranger. 

“But you need money,” Anakin filled in. “I understand. Obi-Wan mentioned that you have younger brothers to take care of. I know a lot about that, but from the other side. Obi-Wan worked his ass off to take care of me, and I haven’t forgotten it. I respect what you’re trying to do.”

Rex was surprised to hear that. “Thank you. My brothers are the most important thing to me.”

“How many do you have?”

“5. The youngest is 10. I’m the oldest.”

“Wow. I used to drive Obi-Wan crazy, and there’s only one of me.” Anakin smiled. “Well, you contacted me at the right time. I’ve been looking for some extra help around here. Ahsoka does most of the paperwork and interacts with the customers, but she loves working on the cars and I promised her she could do more of that soon. So I need someone who can answer phones, set up appointments, deal with payments, stuff like that. Does that sound like something you could do?”

Rex nodded. “Like I said, I’m willing to do anything you need me to do.”

“Great. Well, I can get you started on paperwork today,” Anakin said. “When can you start?”

“As soon as you need me too.” Rex was stunned. Was Anakin offering him the job?

“I’ll probably set Ahsoka up to train you next week. We’ll have a couple trial days. You’ll get paid, of course.” The figure Anakin named left Rex nearly speechless. “That’ll be what you start out making.”

“That’s… nearly twice the minimum wage.”

“I started out making jack shit at my first job. I don’t believe in ripping off my employees to make a buck,” Anakin said. “Does everything sound okay?”

“More than okay. I don’t know how to thank you,” Rex said. He was still in awe at Anakin’s kindness. “I promise you won’t regret taking a chance on me. I’ll work hard, as many hours as you need me too.”

Anakin chuckled. “I like your attitude. C’mon.” He stood up. “I’ll have Ahsoka show you around while I get the paperwork together.”

Rex walked back out into the main garage with Anakin. Ahsoka was busy flipping through a stack of invoices. “Hey, boss.”

“Ahsoka, can you show Rex around while I grab his paperwork?” Anakin asked. “Looks like you’re finally going to get to do maintenance full time now.”

Ahsoka’s eyes lit up. “Really? Finally! I’ve only been asking you for two years,” she teased him. She turned towards Rex and started to take him around the garage. “Well, there isn’t much to see. There’s the back office where Anakin works, although you won’t see him back there much. He likes to let me handle most of the paperwork so he can get his hands dirty. Now that’ll be your job. This is the main garage. Usually we only have one or two cars in here at a time since it’s a pretty small space. I’ll introduce you to our other full-time maintenance technician.” Ahsoka walked up to the red truck and gently nudged one of the legs sticking out from underneath with the toe of her boot. “Don’t be shy. Come meet the new guy.” 

A pair of hands emerged from underneath the truck, and the man pulled himself out and stood up to dust himself off. Brown eyes met piercing green, and Rex would know that face anywhere.

“Saw?”

Saw paused and stared at Rex for a moment before realization dawned on him. “Holy shit. Rex?” He laughed and pulled him into a big bear hug. Rex was too stunned to do anything but hug him back. “You look good as a blonde, kid!”

Ahsoka blinked. “Wait, you two know each other?” 

“You’re damn right we do. Let me look at you.” Saw pulled back and held Rex at an arm’s length away. “Wow. You’re taller than me now. How many years has it been?”

“7, at least.” Rex paused as he took a better look at Saw. “Your eye…” 

One of Saw’s eyes was the familiar bright green that Rex remembered from so long ago. The other was dull and cloudy, and a faint scar ran through his eyebrow and down onto his cheek. 

Saw smiled bitterly. “I signed away all of me to the Army, but I didn’t quite get all of me back. I’m mostly blind in that eye, and I’m deaf in this ear, so speak up if you’re on my left.” He looked at Ahsoka. “Rex is... my brother. We met a long time ago as kids.”

Ahsoka raised her eyebrows. “Small world.”

“I’ll say.” Saw turned towards Rex again. “After you’re done here, we should get a drink. My shift’s almost over.” He shook his head. “Wait, you’re a kid. We’ll get a drink at my place, and you just won’t tell anybody.” He winked and clapped Rex on the shoulder. “It’s really good to see you.” He got back down on the dusty concrete floor and slid underneath the red truck.

Ahsoka took Rex around to the rest of the shop. “I think it’s pretty awesome that you knew Saw. What was he like as a kid?”

Rex smiled and picked up a tool on a nearby bench, turning it over in his hands. “Stubborn. Kind of an asshole. But he looked out for me and my brothers.”

“Sounds like he hasn’t changed at all,” Ahsoka said with a laugh. “There’s not much else to show you. I’ll see if Anakin’s done with the paperwork.”

By the time Rex was finished giving Anakin all the information he needed, Saw was done with his work and was waiting outside by his beat-up pickup truck. Rex got in at Saw’s insistence.

“I can take you back home if you want, or if you have time, we’ll swing by my place.”

“I have time.”

Saw started the truck. “I always wondered what happened to you and those hellions after you left.” 

“The hellions are about the same,” Rex said, grinning. “Fives and Echo are still making all kinds of trouble. Hardcase is… Hardcase. Jesse and Kix are doing really well in school. Things are a lot better than they were.”

Saw nodded and tapped his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. “That’s good to hear. I was worried they were gonna separate you after what happened.”

“They did. It wasn’t all easy,” Rex said. “It was rough for awhile. But we all live close to each other now, so it’s not bad. I’m planning to become their legal guardian soon. That’s why I really needed this job. I need the money.”

“Hey, I get that,” Saw said. “I was lucky to find this job too. Only reason I was keeping my head above water for a while is because Uncle Sam was sending me those “Sorry you got blown up” checks.”

“Is that really what happened?”

Saw sighed. “Something like that, yeah. My squad was on patrol when we got ambushed. There was a minefield nearby that we didn’t know about, and when we tried to find cover, we accidentally ran right into their trap. There wasn’t much left of the guy next to me when it was all over. I was lucky that I lived even though my whole left side is basically fucked up.”

“I’m sorry,” Rex started, but Saw waved him off.

“No, no, none of that. I’ve heard enough I’m sorry’s to last a lifetime. I’m not sorry. It got me to where I am, and the Army got me away from that witch. So I don’t regret anything that happened.” He pulled into an apartment complex and parked. Rex got out, and as they walked to Saw’s front door, he saw for the first time that Saw walked with a slight limp. “Here we are. Home sweet home.”

The apartment was modest, with bare-bones furniture and a TV that looked older than Rex. Saw threw his keys on the coffee table and went to the kitchenette to open the fridge. “All I got is beer unless you’re interested in the hard stuff.” He threw a grin over his shoulder. 

Rex shook his head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. I’ve never drank before.”

“Never? How old are you?’

“18.”

“Shit, I was already a fully-fledged alcoholic at 18.” Saw cracked open two beers and brought them over to the couch. Rex sat down and took a sip. He made a face when the sour taste hit his tongue. 

“That’s… not good.”

Saw laughed. “I never said it was.” He took a long swig and leaned back. “It’s an acquired taste.” 

Rex picked at the label on his beer bottle. “Listen, there’s something I’ve wanted to say for a long time.” Saw motioned for him to continue when he paused. “I never got to apologize for what Mother Talzin did to you. You didn’t deserve that. It took me a long time to realize why you hated me and my brothers. We made your life more difficult when we came in, and it was my fault she did what she did.”

Saw took another long drink of his beer before he spoke. “Kid, don’t you dare apologize for what that witch did. None of it was your fault. I was angry, sure, but my problems started way before you showed up. I was angry at myself, angry at her, angry at the world… and I took it out on everybody. Including you and your brothers. I should’ve protected you better.”

“You did, Saw. You kept her away from me and my brothers,” Rex said. “You took the beatings that should’ve been mine, or Fives’. More than once. I never forgot it. You’re the one who taught me how to stand up for myself.”

“Nah. You already had balls of steel to do what you did,” Saw said. “You seem like you have a pretty good head on your shoulders. That was you. All you. You made something of yourself.”

“Not yet. I’m still trying to,” Rex said. “Right now I’m just focused on bringing my family back together.” 

“That’s very noble. I’m glad you got the hell out when you did. I was never gonna let her touch you, you know. She was gonna have to kill me first.” 

“Did you really think of me as your brother?”

Saw nodded. “Yeah, I did. I lost my family a long time ago. You and Lux were the closest things I had. I was glad you got out, though. That witch really was batshit.”

“Yeah, she was.” Rex took another drink of his beer and tried not to make a face this time. “How’d you end up back here, anyway? I figured you wouldn’t want to come back to this place. You always talked about how much you wanted to get away.”

“Well, I didn’t come back by choice,” Saw said. “After the accident, I had to have pretty extensive physical therapy. My shoulder’s all kinds of fucked up, and my leg is held together by about two dozen metal pins. My depth perception is fucked because of my eye. I had to relearn how to walk and just about everything else. It just so happened that there’s a facility nearby that could handle all of my physical therapy needs. So here I am.”

“I’m glad our paths crossed again,” Rex said. 

Saw nodded in agreement. “So am I, kid. You want another beer?” He started to get up. 

“No, I’m good,” Rex said. He’d only drank about half of the bottle, and the little bit he had made his stomach churn. “I should probably get back home.”

“Lemme drive you,” Saw said, grabbing his keys.

Rex frowned and got up too. “Are you sure? You’ve been drinking.”

“It’s just one beer. I’m good,” Saw promised. “Come on, I’m not gonna make you take the bus.”

Rex followed Saw back out to his truck. It made him uneasy, but he didn’t want to wait another half hour for the bus. Saw seemed fine, and yet Rex could tell there was something off under his cheery exterior. He gave Saw directions back to his house. Thankfully, it wasn’t far. When Rex started to get out, Saw stopped him. “Hold on.” He held out his phone to Rex. “Put your number in. I wanna keep in touch.”

Rex typed his phone number in and handed it back to Saw. “At least we’ll see each other at work.”

“You’re right about that. Say hello to the little demons for me.” Saw smirked and waved goodbye as he drove off, and Rex watched until the purr of the engine faded away and his car disappeared around the corner. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On a serious note: DO NOT DRINK AND DRIVE. Don't get in the car with anyone who's been drinking, even if it's just one. This has been a PSA :)


	6. Chapter 6

“Hey Rex, can you hand me the 1/4th inch socket? Rex? Helloooo?”

Rex blinked and shook his head before he handed Ahsoka the tool she needed. “Sorry, I’m… distracted today.” 

It was a slow afternoon at the shop and Rex had finished all his administrative duties, so he was helping Ahsoka work on an emergency repair for a friend of Anakin’s. Ahsoka was really doing all the work; all Rex was good for was handing her tools and cleaning up oil spots. They’d developed a great working relationship over the past few months as Rex got more accustomed to his new job. He usually liked chatting with Ahsoka during down time, but today his head was in a completely different place. 

“That’s okay.” Ahsoka took the socket and ducked underneath the car’s hood again. “You wanna tell me what’s up?”

Rex hesitated. He’d wanted to wait until he got the official news, but he figured there was no harm in telling her now. “It’s about my brothers. I turned in all the guardianship paperwork last month, and I had to go in to make my case to the judge. He said he’d have a decision sometime this week about whether or not I get guardianship of them. Today’s Friday. I just figured I would’ve heard something by now if it was good news.”

“I’m sure you’ll hear about it soon. Judges are busy people; he’s probably just backed up. I know you’re going to get guardianship,” Ahsoka said confidently. “The judge had to have seen how responsible you are and how hard you’ve worked. He’ll see that being with family is really what’s best for your brothers.”

It was true; Rex had spent the last six months working his ass off to prove that he could take care of his brothers. After graduation, he’d started working full-time at the shop, and Anakin was kind enough to offer overtime and extra shifts during the really busy weeks. It left Rex in a much more financially stable position, and he was able to get his own apartment and save some money. 

Obi-Wan, who insisted Rex start calling him by his first name now that he was an actual graduated adult, helped him find discount furniture and haggled with his landlord to make sure he was paying a fair price on rent. Rex barely knew how to do most “adult” things even if he was more mature than a lot of people his age, so he was eternally grateful to Obi-Wan and Anakin for nudging him in the right direction. 

“I hope so. I don’t have much, but it’s enough for us,” Rex said. “Fives and Echo just signed their contract with the Marines, so they’re waiting on a date to start basic training. It’s really just gonna be me, Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix for awhile.” 

Ahsoka pulled back from underneath the car’s hood to grab the rag sitting on the bench by Rex. “It must be hard knowing your brothers will be away for a long time. How are you feeling about it?”

Rex watched Ahsoka wipe her hands off with the rag. “I don’t know. Basic training is only 13 weeks, but then they’ll be sent somewhere out of state. Maybe out of the country. None of us have ever been that far apart before. I just don’t want anything to happen to them.”

“It’s okay to be sad and a little scared. They’re your little brothers. Of course you wish they could stay around forever and you could always protect them.” Ahsoka smiled. “But they’re adults, just like you. So they have to choose their own path.”

Rex shook his head. “I don’t feel like an adult. Fives and Echo are definitely  _ not  _ adults. Just last week, Echo put glue in Fives’ shampoo bottle to get him back for some other prank, but then he forgot what he did and used the shampoo. That was a mess. He ended up buzzing all his hair off since they’re gonna shave their heads at basic training anyway. Might as well do it now.”

Ahsoka laughed. “Wow. Hey, can I ask you something?”

“Yeah, sure.” 

“What’s up with the nicknames? I mean, I assumed they were nicknames, but I’ve never heard you call your brothers anything else.”

That made Rex chuckle. “They’re not really nicknames, they’re just… our names. They’re what we like to be called. We weren’t born with these names, if that’s what you’re asking. It started when we were kids and it just continued.”

“So Rex isn’t your birth name?” Ahsoka asked as she leaned against the car. 

“No, it isn’t.” Rex cleared his throat. “I was the first one out of my brothers to change my name. Our father was the one who named all of us, and when he abandoned us with our mother, I hated him for it. I hated everything connected to him. I didn’t want to be called by a name he chose for me. So I picked a new one. My mother thought it was a little strange, but it was a hard time for all of us, so she allowed it. I guess she thought it was a phase.” 

“Oh… I’m so sorry.” Ahsoka set a gentle hand on his arm. “I didn’t mean to pry into something personal.” 

“You didn’t know. It’s alright,” Rex reassured her. “There isn’t much meaning behind my name. I just liked the sound of it. Fives and Echo got jealous that I had a cool new name, and they wanted one too. Echo was going through this phase where he either repeated everything Fives said, or they just talked at the same time like the creepy twins from the Shining. So that’s how he got his name. Fives used to be obsessed with the number five. He did everything in fives, and if there was something given to him, like food, he had to have it in multiples of five. He had to turn the light on and off five times, had to have five crackers, had to have the volume of the TV on a multiple of five. You get it. He’s mostly grown out of it, but he still does the “multiples of five” thing with his food and a few other things.”

“Really? That’s interesting. Are there stories behind the names of your other brothers?” Ahsoka asked. 

“Yeah. Well, with the others, they were pretty small when our father left. So me, Echo, and Fives ended up giving them their names. Hardcase is pretty self-explanatory. He was a real asshole as a little kid. Mom always said he was a “hard case” to handle,” Rex explained, grinning. “Jesse is his middle name, which Mom picked out for him. And Kix got his name after he gave me a black eye while I was changing him one day. His foot caught me right in the face.”

Ahsoka hid a giggle behind her hand. “I think it’s great that you all have stories behind your names. It’s unique.” 

Rex nodded. “It connects us to each other. I never forced my brothers to go by those names, but they’ve become a part of us now. The name my father gave me isn’t mine. It’s just some word written on my birth certificate.”

Ahsoka watched Rex for a moment before she turned back to keep working on the car. “Whenever I see you, you always seem so stressed out or worried. The only time I ever see you smile is when you’re talking about your brothers.”

“Oh, well.” Rex shrugged awkwardly. “They’re all I have. I’ve always been worried that I’ll lose them somehow. But that won’t happen if I become their guardian.”

“With how close all of you are, I don’t think you could ever lose them. Hold this, please.” Ahsoka handed Rex the tool she was using so her hands were free to partially undo her coveralls. When it got hot in the garage, she normally tied the sleeves off at her waist and worked in just a tank top. Rex, suddenly finding the socket to be very interesting, kept talking to fill the silence. 

“I might just have to wait until next week to get an answer from the judge. You’re probably right--” Rex was suddenly interrupted by a loud ringing from across the garage. His cell phone was loudly going off on the desk in the corner. Ahsoka’s eyes lit up, and she snatched the tool back from Rex. 

“Go! Pick it up!”

Rex practically ran over to the desk and snatched his phone up. He didn’t even look to see who the caller was before he answered. “Hello?”

“Rex, hello. How are you?” It was Luminara. Rex let out a shaky sigh. 

“Good… I’m good. Are you calling with news?” Rex put a hand over his chest as if that could calm his racing heart. 

“I am. Congratulations, Rex. The judge approved your request for guardianship.”

Rex sank to the floor, barely aware that Ahsoka had come over to him for comfort. “You’re… serious? I got approved?” His eyes were wet, and he pressed the palm of his hand against them to stop the tears from sliding down. 

“Yes. The judge just sent me his decision a few minutes ago. I’m getting together the paperwork for you to sign,” Luminara said. “How do you feel?”

“Fucking incredible. Sorry.” Rex sniffled, and he felt Ahsoka squeeze his shoulder. She was sitting next to him on the cold concrete floor. “So what happens now? How long until they can move in with me?”

“Unfortunately, nothing moves quickly in the system,” Luminara said. “But I anticipate your brothers should be able to move in with you as soon as next month.” 

“Next month?” Rex’s voice was thick with emotion. “I can’t wait to tell them. They’re going to flip out. Thank you. Thank you so much; for all you’ve done, for helping all of us over the years.”

“It was my pleasure, Rex. For what it’s worth, I told the judge that I had never seen a more responsible and capable young man. I’m truly happy for you and your family.” 

“Thank you,” Rex repeated. He was shaking. He’d never felt so happy and relieved and overwhelmed in his life. 

“You’re very welcome. I’ll have you come into my office to sign the paperwork as soon as possible,” Luminara said. “Take care of yourself and your brothers.”

“I will. I will.” Rex ended the call and hung his head between his knees. Ahsoka was rubbing his back in soothing circles. 

“It was good news, right?”

Rex straightened up and laughed as he wiped away the wetness on his cheeks. “It was fantastic news!” He stood up, pulling Ahsoka to her feet and into a big hug. Ahsoka, sharing in his joy, hugged him back and stood on her tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. Rex turned crimson and tried to ignore the strange feeling that gave him. 

“Congratulations! You did it!” 

“Thank you. I still can’t believe it,” Rex said as they pulled apart. “I have to tell my brothers. They’ll be ecstatic. It’s been hard lately with all the waiting and worrying… and now it’s finally happening.”

“All because of you.” Ahsoka patted his arm and then checked the time. “Your shift is almost over. I think Anakin will forgive you if you clock out a few minutes early. I’ll close up once I’m done with this repair.” 

Rex started to grab the rest of his things, but paused for a moment. “Are you sure? I don’t want to leave you alone--”

“Yes, I’m sure! Go!” Ahsoka laughed and pushed him towards the door. Rex beamed at her and raced out the door to the bus stop. Thankfully, the next bus was just a few minutes away, and he was able to catch it as it was pulling up. Once he was in his seat, Rex got out his phone again to call Fives. 

“Rex, what’s up? Aren’t you at work?”

“Fives, get Echo, Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix and meet me in front of your house. I’ll be home in twenty minutes.”

“What? Is everything okay? Is somebody dying?”

“Just do it, okay? I’ll be there soon.” As much as Rex wanted to tell Fives right then and there, he knew he had to hold out until he made it home. 

“Alright, alright. Whatever you say. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine, Fives. I’m great. I’ll be there soon.”

What followed was the longest bus ride of Rex’s life. At each stop, he grew increasingly more anxious, and it seemed like the bus was intentionally hitting every single red light between the shop and the house. Finally, the bus turned the corner onto the right street and Rex hit the button to stop. He could see his brothers hanging out on the porch of their foster home, probably wondering why Rex had suddenly gone so crazy.

Rex jogged up to his brothers with the biggest grin plastered on his face. Echo stood up from where he was sitting on the porch steps and crossed his arms over his chest. “What’s going on? Why were you freaking out?”

“I got approved.” The words came out in a rush. “I got approved for guardianship. They think all of you will be able to move in with me by next month.” 

Hardcase was the first one to react among his stunned brothers. He let out a whoop and ran to Rex, nearly toppling both of them with his exuberant embrace. Jesse was only a second behind him, and the rest of the brothers followed suit. Rex was swallowed up in a giant group hug, surrounded by his brothers in a mass of limbs and happiness. He could feel their joy, their pain, their absolute relief. No one could separate them now.

“Rex?” Hardcase piped up after a few long seconds of silence. 

“Yeah, ‘Case?”

“Will you have a TV in your apartment when we go live there?”

Rex sighed and leaned his forehead against Echo’s shoulder. “You know what? Yes. I will buy you a TV, Hardcase. We’ll get whatever the hell we want.”

“Hell yeah.”

***

Rex’s keys were in his hand, and his brothers were all crowded closely behind him as he stood at the door. He turned around to look at them one last time. “Are you ready?”

“Yes, come on!” Jesse impatiently pressed forward. “Open the door already!”

Rex was just as excited as they were, but it was fun to mess with his brothers a little bit. “Okay! Hold on.” He made a big show of flipping through his key ring to find the right one. Jesse and Kix groaned loudly behind him. 

“You’re such an asshole.”

“Hey, no cussing. I don’t know who taught you to say that word.” Rex smirked to himself as he opened the door to his apartment. Kix and Jesse bolted inside, eager to find their room so they could start making it their own. Hardcase, Fives, and Echo followed, with Rex bringing up the rear. 

The apartment wasn’t anything special. Rex could only afford a place with two bedrooms, which made their living situation a little tricky. He’d taken the smallest bedroom as his own, and Saw helped him set up bunk beds for Jesse and Kix in the other with Hardcase having his own bed in the same room. It wasn’t ideal, but it would have to work until Rex could figure out a better solution. 

Fives and Echo were still in the middle of being processed into the Marine Corps, and they had no idea when they were shipping out to basic training. Their situation was a little different because they had turned 18 in the middle of the guardianship process and were now adults, so having a guardian wasn’t necessary. Rex had still asked the twins to come live in his apartment until they got everything figured out. 

After Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix went into their room to start unpacking, Rex turned to Fives and Echo. “For right now, I figured you two would take my bedroom and I’ll sleep on the pullout couch. I know you’re still waiting on a ship date, but…” Rex’s voice trailed off when he saw Fives and Echo exchange a look. “What? Did something happen?”

“We found out a couple weeks ago, but we didn’t want to tell you until everyone got settled,” Echo started. 

Fives set his bag down on the floor. “Me and Echo have a ship date for basic. It’s next month. So we’ll be out of your hair soon.” He tried for a smile, but it was bittersweet. 

“Well, that’s what you’ve been waiting on.” Rex couldn’t help but feel a tinge of sadness at the thought of his brothers leaving so soon. “Congratulations.”

“I know you’re gonna miss us,” Fives joked, slinging his arm around Rex’s shoulder. “Who else is gonna steal your food and put glue in your shampoo?”

Echo made a sour face and ran a hand over his buzzed head. “Too soon,” he grumbled. 

“You did that to yourself. Anyway, there’s no sense in us kicking you out of your room for a month. We can sleep on the pullout until we go,” Fives said.

“Alright, that’s fine. They’re gonna miss you guys, you know,” Rex said quietly, gesturing towards the bedroom where Kix and Jesse were loudly arguing over who got the top bunk. 

“We won’t be gone forever,” Echo said. “Look, you know me and Fives aren’t like you. We don’t want to stick around here forever working some minimum wage job. No offense.”

Rex snorted. “None taken.”

“We want to be Marines. That’s what we’re cut out to do,” Echo said, glancing at his twin. “It’s what we have to do to make something of ourselves.”

Fives nodded in agreement. “It’s not like we want to leave our brothers behind. Hell, that’s the hardest part of this. We just need to break away, do our own thing. Figure out who we are. I sure as hell don’t know.”

Rex pulled back to look at them. “I know that. I’ve chosen my path; you have to choose yours. We’ll be okay. It’s you two...” He poked both of them in the chest. “... who have to stay safe and come back home in one piece.”

“Eh, don’t worry about that. If we do come back in pieces, you’ll have something to display by the TV.”

Rex punched Fives in the shoulder. “Not funny.”

Fives snickered and flopped onto the couch with Echo, grabbing the remote so he could turn on the TV. “You might want to check out that fight before it escalates.”

Rex turned his head towards the boys’ room. Not more than a few seconds later, he heard a massive thud followed by screaming and accusations of someone being pushed. Sighing, he kicked Fives and Echo’s bags aside with his foot and started towards the room. “If I hear any more screaming, both of you are sleeping outside tonight!” 

“You can’t do that! That’s child abuse!”

“I won’t give you a blanket, either.”

“REX!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy shit, guys, we made it! Rex and his brothers are back together! But the story's far from over :)


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter contains some homophobic slurs and mentions of internalized homophobia. If that's something that bothers you, tread carefully.

If Rex had any preconceived notions about parenting being easy, they were immediately squashed as soon as he actually stepped into the role. 

Overnight, Rex had transformed from big brother to Mom, Dad, Guardian, Chef, Chauffeur, and Disciplinarian all at once. For the first month, he had Fives and Echo around to help him wrangle the younger ones. It was crowded and often chaotic in the apartment, but at least the brothers were together, and they had more freedom than they’d ever had in their entire lives. 

Then Fives and Echo were gone, and Rex was left wondering how the hell he was going to do this on his own. Jesse was the most level-headed of his brothers, and Rex was grateful that he generally had no problems at school and listened to his older brother when he told him to do his homework, eat his vegetables, and go to bed on time. 

Kix had the uncanny ability to run on an endless amount of energy, and Rex could hardly keep up with him half the time. Despite his rowdiness and trouble staying focused in school, Kix was whip-smart and all his teachers praised him for being miles ahead of the other kids in his grade. That wasn’t to say he had the best grades, however; Kix had self-professed long ago that he was allergic to homework, and it was a nightly struggle to get him to complete it. 

Hardcase was the real problem for Rex. His teenage attitude had started to rear its ugly head around the time that Fives and Echo shipped out, and at first, Rex thought it was a reaction to his brothers leaving. It was hard on all of them, especially Hardcase, who had been the closest to Fives and Echo. Rex recognized that they were all hurting and cut his brothers some slack when it came to the little things, but Hardcase never seemed to come back to himself even after some time had passed. When Rex tried to talk to Hardcase about what was bothering him, Hardcase seemed to draw even further into himself, becoming more angry and bitter by the day. Rex was helpless to stop his brother’s transformation. He could only hope that by giving Hardcase some space, he would eventually come around and talk to Rex about what was going on. 

That was until Rex found out about the fighting. It was the middle of the workday, and Rex’s cell phone rang while he was with a customer. He couldn’t answer right away, though he saw that he had a voicemail. Once the customer was gone, Rex listened to the voicemail and promptly rushed to Anakin’s office to beg for the rest of the afternoon off. It seemed he was urgently needed at the school. Hardcase had gotten in some serious trouble. 

Rex was steaming when he arrived at the school. Hardcase was in the front office, slumped in a hard plastic chair with his arms crossed over his chest. “Are you serious?” Rex seethed at Hardcase when he came over to him. “Suspended? What the hell did you do?”

“It wasn’t my fault!” Hardcase exclaimed, glaring at Rex. “He deserved it!”

“Deserved what? What did you do?” 

Hardcase sank further down into his chair and clenched his jaw. “Punched him. He cried like a pussy. Because he is one.”

Rex stared at Hardcase, gobsmacked. “I can’t believe you. You’ll be lucky if his parents don’t press charges. Do you even know what this means for us? Do you know that this could put everything in jeopardy?”

Hardcase rolled his eyes. “I had to shut him up somehow. He was saying all this shit to me, taunting me. He was asking for it!” 

“What could he possibly say to you that would warrant you punching him?” Rex asked. 

“I dunno, he was just talking shit!”

“Right, you said that already.” Rex was too angry to do anything but laugh at the situation. “He was talking shit about you so you punched him. That’s just great, Hardcase.” He took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. “I have to go talk to your principal and the parents of that kid you punched. You better pray they don’t want to pursue legal action against you.” Hardcase refused to look at Rex and glared at the wall instead. Exasperated, Rex walked past Hardcase to the conference room where the principal was waiting. 

It seemed the boy Hardcase punched wasn’t too injured, although he had suffered a bloody nose and some significant bruising. The boy’s parents were surprised and a little uncomfortable with Rex being there until they realized he actually was Hardcase’s guardian, even though he was still a teenager himself. They reluctantly accepted that they would not try to press charges as long as Hardcase would apologize to their son. For now, both boys were going to go home, and Hardcase would have at least a week of out-of-school suspension. 

Rex came back out to Hardcase when the meeting finally drew to a close and all parties were as satisfied with the outcome as they could be. “Come on. We’re going home.”

Hardcase pushed himself up and regarded Rex warily. “What did they say?”

“You’re going to be in out-of-school suspension for a week, and then in-school suspension for the rest of the month,” Rex explained as they headed outside. “And you have to write an apology letter to that boy.”

Hardcase stopped Rex and looked at him like he’d just been asked to swallow a mouthful of shit. “No. Absolutely not. I’m not apologizing to that asshole.”

“Yes, you are. Those are the terms that were agreed on.” Rex shook his head. “Do you not see how you’re in the wrong here? You can’t punch your way through your problems, Hardcase! That’s not how things work in the real world. You should be grateful that things didn’t turn out worse.”

“Grateful? Yeah, I’m really grateful to have a brother who doesn’t give a shit about me enough to stand up for me!” Hardcase hissed. 

Rex was taken aback. “What is wrong with you? Why are you so pissed off about this?’

“Because he called me a faggot!” Hardcase exploded. Rex was so shocked he actually took a step back. 

“Hardcase? What--”

“He called me a fucking faggot and I’m not, okay? I’m not and I’m not going to apologize for wiping that stupid smug look off his face!” Hardcase shouted. “I don’t care what they do to me. You can take that apology letter and shove it up your ass.” His voice broke at the end, and he started to walk away from Rex quickly.

Rex jogged to catch up with Hardcase and caught his arm. “Hey. Don’t do that. Don’t shut me out again. I’m on your side, okay?” Hardcase stopped, but he still wouldn’t look at Rex. “I don’t care what you do or how angry you get at me. I’m still your brother and I’ll always stand up for you. But it was wrong to punch him, no matter what he said to you.” 

“Alright, I get it.” Hardcase turned his face away and scrubbed at his eyes. “Can we just go home?”

“Yeah. We can. We’ll talk more about the letter tonight.” Rex sighed and walked alongside Hardcase in silence as they headed to the bus stop. 

The apology letter was a source of tension between Rex and Hardcase for the next week. The principal wouldn’t let Hardcase return to school without it, and Hardcase still refused to write it. Rex just couldn’t understand why this was bothering his brother so much, and the more he pushed Hardcase, the harder he was shut out. The arguing was starting to wear down their family. Yelling, slammed doors, and awkward dinners filled with silence were becoming the norm, and Rex hated that he couldn’t figure out how to break the tension. 

The only bright spot in the whole messed up situation was that Fives and Echo were coming home from basic training soon. They’d been away for a little over three months, and as the date of their return drew closer, Hardcase actually seemed like he was happy and was starting to come out of his shell just a little. Rex agreed that Jesse and Kix could stay home from school so they’d be there when Fives and Echo arrived. Hardcase was still suspended, so that wasn’t an issue. Rex made a silent vow not to bring up the letter while Fives and Echo were there, partly because he didn’t want to cause tension when they should be enjoying what little time they had together, but also because he didn’t want his brothers to know how quickly things had gone downhill. 

On the day of Fives and Echo’s return, Hardcase was the most anxious out of all the brothers. He was also the first one out the door when they saw the taxi pulling up with Fives and Echo inside. Fives had barely stepped out of the vehicle when Hardcase came barrelling towards him, nearly tackling him with the force of his hug. Fives laughed and patted Hardcase on the back. 

“Hey! Whoa, it’s okay. I’m not going anywhere. Hey.” Fives’ smile dropped a little when he realized Hardcase was still clinging onto him. “It’s alright. We’re home now.” 

Hardcase finally let go of his brother and wiped at his eyes. “Missed you.” He laughed when Echo came up from behind him and lifted him off his feet, and that was a sound Rex missed. He watched the scene with a smile on his face and hurt in his heart. Was Hardcase really that miserable with him? Fives and Echo connected with Hardcase so easily, and Rex was left on the sidelines wondering where he’d gone wrong. 

Rex’s thoughts were pushed to the side when Fives came up to him and pulled him into a warm embrace. Fives was different now; his shoulders were broader, his skin was dark and tanned, and there was a hard look in his eyes that hadn’t been there before. But it was still Fives, and Rex was so glad he and Echo were home. 

Kix and Jesse bombarded the twins with questions about their time at basic training as soon as they got inside. Fives had no problem filling their heads with heroic tales of the time he drank cobra blood or the night he had to crawl through the mud with 80 pounds on his back and a bullet between his teeth. Rex was pretty sure most of the stories were heavily embellished, though Echo swore up and down that they were one hundred percent true. 

Dinner that night was a lighthearted affair, the first true family dinner they’d had in weeks that didn’t end in yelling or throwing dishes. They’d opted to order takeout since Rex wasn’t that great of a cook, and he wanted his brothers’ first meal back to be special. Echo groaned as he took the first bite of the double bacon cheeseburger he’d gotten. 

“This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted in my life.”

“Better than cobra blood?” Kix teased. 

“A million times better.” Echo threw a fry at Kix, who caught it in his mouth and ate it, much to his brother’s dismay. 

“So have you guys been good for Rex? Doing good in school, going to bed on time, all that good stuff?” Fives asked with a smile. It was meant to be a joke, but it immediately soured the mood. Hardcase stared down at his plate and pushed around his fries to avoid looking at his brothers. 

Fives and Echo exchanged a look. “Uh… is there something we don’t know about?” Echo asked slowly. 

Rex sighed and set his burger down. The cat had to come out of the bag eventually. “Hardcase got suspended.”

“Whoa.” Fives looked at Hardcase, who was now incredibly interested in folding and refolding his napkin. “What? What happened?” 

“It’s nothing,” Hardcase spat out between gritted teeth. “It’s not a big deal, okay?” He shot a nasty look at Rex. “Why did you have to bring it up? You act like everything is my fault and I’m fucking sick of it.” He threw his napkin onto the table and stood up quickly, storming off to his room before anyone could stop him. 

Fives blinked and looked at Rex. “Okay. I should go get him.” Echo started to stand up too, but Fives waved him off. “It’s okay, let me. Eat your food.” He walked down the hall to the boys’ room and knocked on the door before opening it and slipping inside. 

The rest of the brothers ate their food in awkward silence, though Rex didn’t have much of an appetite. He got up after only a few minutes and started cleaning up. Echo followed him into the kitchen with the stack of dirty plates. 

“Hey, Rex.” Echo leaned against the counter by the sink while Rex washed the dishes. “What’s really going on here? What was that all about?”

“It’s like I said. Hardcase got suspended,” Rex said, his voice tired. He didn’t have the energy to deal with Hardcase’s attitude anymore. This was supposed to be a night where they could relax and enjoy the fact that their brothers were home, and now Rex had somehow ruined everything-- again. 

Echo shook his head. “No. It’s more than that. ‘Case hasn’t been doing well for awhile; I think you know that. Has he talked to you about what’s been going on? Is it something at school?” 

“Apparently it is. I don’t know.” Rex put the clean dishes on the rack to dry. “He punched a kid at school, Echo. Almost completely unprovoked. The kid called him a name and Hardcase just went berserk. At first I wondered if he was being bullied, but… that just doesn’t sound like him. I think it’s something else.”

“Did he tell you what the kid called him?”

“Yeah. I guess he called him a faggot,” Rex said. “From what I can tell, it’s happened more than once. ‘Case just snapped this time. I tried to get him to tell me why this is bothering him so much, but he won’t talk to me. He just shuts me out.”

“Oh.” Understanding dawned on Echo’s face. “Oh… Rex. You don’t know?”

Rex stopped and stared at Echo. “Don’t know what?” 

“Why do you think that name would bother him so much?” Echo asked Rex. “I’m surprised he hasn’t told you, honestly. I thought you knew. Fives and I have known for a long time.”

Rex looked at Echo strangely. “He’s… he’s not…?”

“Yeah.” Echo chuckled at Rex’s confusion and patted his cheek. “Yes, he is. That’s why he’s so upset. Maybe the kids at school found out and now they’re bullying him for it. No wonder he’s been under so much stress.”

“Why wouldn’t he tell me something this important?” Rex asked. He was completely stunned by the revelation. Suddenly, it all made so much sense. “Why would he tell you and Fives and not me? Do Jesse and Kix know?” Rex was hurt at the thought that he was the only one in the family that didn’t know. 

Echo shrugged. “I don’t know. I mean, he didn’t exactly tell us outright. We just always knew.”

Rex exhaled. “But how did you know? I never saw anything that made me think… I mean, he doesn’t  _ seem _ …”

Echo just stared at Rex, waiting for him to understand. “Rex.”

“What?”

“Do I really have to spell it out for you?” 

Rex stared at Echo with a dumbfounded expression. His brother groaned. 

“You’re killing me. Okay.” Echo took Rex by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes. “Fives and I… are gay,” he said very slowly. “Well, I’m gay. Fives is bisexual.” 

Rex just stood there, his mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. “What? Since when?”

“Since when?” Echo laughed. “Since always. Wow. I just always assumed you knew. Look, it’s not your fault Hardcase is getting bullied. But you do need to talk to him. Try to understand what he’s going through and how hard this is for him. It’s taken a long time for me to accept myself, and I’m still trying. The only reason I got through it is because of Fives. ‘Case needs you. He’s having a hard time coming to terms with this. Hell, if he’s anything like me, he might even hate himself for it. So he hates himself, he thinks the world hates him, and worst of all… he thinks his big brother hates him too.”

Rex frowned. “Hold on, I never said I hated him. Why would he think that?”

“Because he’s scared. That’s why he hasn’t talked to you about this,” Echo said. “Look, I have a feeling you’re the one that’s been doing all the talking when you should be doing the listening. A conversation goes two ways. He’s never going to open up to you if you keep hounding him about it.”

“Okay. Okay. This is a lot, but I think I finally understand what’s been going on.” Rex let out a breath. “I’m not good at this. I never thought it would be easy, but… It’s a lot harder than I thought.”

“I think you’re making it harder than it needs to be,” Echo said. “You’re trying to be the parent when you should just be what you are, which is their big brother. That’s who they need. You’re not our father. We had one, and he was shitty. Stop trying to control everything. You don’t need to. Just be there for them and it’ll all work out.”

Rex smiled slightly and nodded. “I’m really glad you’re home.”

“Yeah, so am I.” Echo smiled back. “Now, I’m going to go finish my delicious double bacon cheeseburger that’s probably cold at this point. Good luck.” He patted Rex on the back and went back to the table. 

After they were all finished eating, Echo, Jesse, Kix, and Rex piled on the couch in the living room to watch a movie. Fives emerged from Hardcase’s room about an hour later and motioned to Rex. Rex tossed the remote to Echo and stepped into the hallway with Fives. 

“He’s still pretty upset. I talked to him about everything, and I think the two of you are due for a long conversation,” Fives told Rex quietly. 

“Yeah, I know. Echo told me that apparently I’ve been an idiot and can’t see the signs right in front of my face.”

Fives chuckled. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Just try to listen, okay? Hear him out. He knows he’s been giving you a hard time, but he’s going through a lot right now.”

“I know. Thank you, Fives.” Fives squeezed Rex’s arm and went to sit on the couch with his brothers. 

Rex took a deep breath and knocked on the door. “‘Case, it’s me.”

There was silence for a few seconds before Hardcase’s voice filtered through the door. “You can come in.”

Rex opened the door and stepped inside. Hardcase was huddled on the bed, his eyes puffy and red, and he was looking everywhere except at his brother. Rex slowly approached and sat down on the bed next to him. “Echo told me why you’re so upset.”

Hardcase sniffed and rubbed at his face. “So you know?” he asked softly. 

“Yeah. I know. At first I was hurt that you didn’t tell me, but….” Rex shifted on the bed. “I know why you didn’t want to. I’m sorry I couldn’t see how much pain you’ve been in. And I’m sorry for not standing up for you at the school. I would’ve if I had known what was really going on, I promise. No one should ever treat you like that. It’s my job to protect you, and I failed at that. I’m so—”

Rex was cut off by Hardcase, who threw himself into his brother’s arms and buried his face into his shoulder. Hardcase was doing his best to stay quiet, but Rex could tell he was crying a little bit. “I’m sorry too,” he choked out. “I just got so mad, I-I couldn’t let him call me that. They’ve been saying shit about it to me all year and I couldn’t take it anymore.” 

Rex slowly rubbed Hardcase’s back to calm him down. “Will you tell me what really happened?” 

Hardcase pulled back and wiped at his eyes. “A couple people at school already knew. And then his stupid group of friends found out, and they started talking about how disgusting I was and how I’m going to hell. I tried to avoid them, but they’re in all my classes and they always taunt me and call me names. Some of the other kids started doing it too. The teachers don’t care. They think I’m riling them up ‘cause I’m a bad kid who skips class and mouths off. No one gives a shit about the bad kids.” He took a deep breath. “Then, a couple weeks ago, he and his stupid friends cornered me and started talking about how I probably had AIDS and everything I touched was infected. I tried to tell him to fuck off, but they wouldn’t let me go. He kept pushing me and pushing me. I couldn’t take it anymore, Rex. I had to stand up for myself. And I’m not writing that stupid apology letter just so I can go back to school and he can make my life even more miserable. I’d rather fucking die first.” 

“Hey. Look at me.” Rex waited until Hardcase turned his uncertain gaze onto Rex. “I’m proud of you for standing up for yourself. You’re not gonna write that apology letter. If I would’ve known what that little bastard was doing to you, I would’ve kicked his ass myself.” 

That made Hardcase crack a small smile. “So… you don’t care that I’m….?” 

“No, ‘Case. It doesn’t change anything,” Rex replied. “You’re still my little brother, and I love you. I’ll always accept you no matter what. Honestly, I… feel like I failed you. I’m sorry I haven’t been there for you.” 

“It’s okay. I’m the one who didn’t tell you.” Hardcase sighed. “I really wish I wasn’t. I feel like my life would be so much easier if I wasn’t. But I am. I tried ignoring it, but it doesn’t go away. Fives told me that if I keep pretending that this part of me doesn’t exist, I’m just gonna keep hating myself. He was right.” 

“I can’t say I completely understand,” Rex admitted. “But I’m trying. And I want you to know that you can tell me anything. I know I got pissed about you getting suspended, but I promise in the future, I’ll try to listen to you first. If I do that, will you promise that you’ll tell me if something is bothering you? I can’t help you fix it if I don’t know about it.” 

“Yeah. I promise.” Hardcase’s shoulders sagged. He looked so small and so tired, and Rex just wanted to wrap him up in his arms and protect him from the world that was so cold and so cruel. “What about school? I’ve been suspended for almost two weeks ‘cause I won’t write the letter. They’re probably going to expel me soon.” 

“They’re not going to expel you because I’m pulling you out of that school,” Rex said. “There are other high schools nearby. This year is almost over. You can finish out the school year somewhere else and then start fresh in the fall. Does that sound good?” 

Hardcase was relieved. “Yes. I don’t want to go back to that place.” 

“You don’t have to. And for the record… if anybody calls you that name again, I won’t get mad if you punch them next time.” Rex smiled and laid a hand on Hardcase’s shoulder. Hardcase laughed softly and looked at his brother. 

“You can bet I will. Next time I’ll break their nose.” 

“That’s the Hardcase I know.” Rex got up from the bed. “Do you wanna come watch the movie with us?” 

Hardcase nodded and got up too. “Yeah.” He fidgeted a little and scratched at his arm. “Um… thank you. For everything. For not hating me and not being mad, and… for always taking care of me and Jesse and Kix.”

Rex wrapped his arm around Hardcase’s shoulders as they walked out to the living room. “You’re my brother. It’s what I do.” 

***

Letting Fives and Echo go the second time was even harder than the first. The twins only had two weeks at home before they had to ship out to their first posting at Naval Station Norfolk. Rex was relieved that they were being stationed somewhere in America and not overseas, but watching them go without knowing when they’d return felt like letting go of a piece of himself. When it was time for Fives and Echo to get in the taxi and head to the airport, Rex and the rest of the brothers gave them one last big hug. Rex held on a moment longer than his brothers when they started to pull back, and Fives gave him a final squeeze. 

“You’re gonna be fine,” Fives whispered in Rex’s ear. He smiled and stepped back to pick up his bag. “We’ll call soon. We’ll be able to video chat and everything. Don’t give Rex too much trouble, yeah?” He reached out to ruffle Kix and Jesse’s hair. 

“Only a little bit of trouble,” Jesse promised with a small smile. 

Echo looked around at the rest of his brothers, and then finally back at Fives. “It’s time to go.”

Fives shouldered his bag and nodded. “See you later.” He gave a mock salute and headed out the door with Echo. 

Rex, Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix watched at the window until Fives and Echo’s taxi disappeared down the street. They were really gone; for good this time. They were out on their own, and Rex couldn’t protect them from what was coming. He could only hope that Fives and Echo would stay safe and come back home to them when the time came. 


	8. Chapter 8

Rex had settled into a routine at the auto repair shop after working there for over a year. 

He typically worked 6 days a week, Tuesday-Sunday, although he could usually persuade Anakin to let him work overtime and he’d come in on Mondays too. Weekends were their busiest time, so Anakin, Ahsoka, and Saw were always there along with Rex to keep operations running smoothly. Anakin would show up at the shop on a few weekdays, but with Rex around, he wasn’t needed quite as often. It was a rare sight to see Anakin at the shop for more than a few hours on a weekday. He trusted his employees to take care of his business and let him know if there were any problems. 

One Monday, Anakin actually requested for Rex to work, and he gladly said yes to the extra hours. Money was always tight around the Fett household, so Rex took what he could get. When Rex arrived at the shop, he waved at Ahsoka and checked the front desk for any invoices or files that needed to be taken care of first thing. 

Before Rex could get settled in, Anakin came around from out back and walked over to the desk. “Oh, Rex. Perfect timing. You won’t be at the front desk today. I have Ahsoka monitoring the phone while she works. You’re going to be working on a special project with me.”

Rex put down the files in his hand. “What special project?” Despite having worked at the shop for over a year, he still didn’t know much about cars since Anakin, Ahsoka, and Saw took care of all the maintenance duties. He couldn’t imagine Anakin wanted his help with anything technical.

“You’ll see. C’mon.” Anakin smiled and headed out back again. Confused, Rex followed him to the covered area behind the main garage that had just enough space for an old junker to fit. 

“I don’t understand. You want me to help you with this?”

Anakin leaned against the car and put his hand on the hood. “This is my new project. I got her for cheap a few days ago and I figured I’d try to fix her up and get her to run again. She’s pretty beat up and she needs a lot of work, but I think this would be a good opportunity for you to learn the ins and outs of auto repair.”

A slow smile spread across Rex’s face. “You want to train me on maintenance?”

Anakin nodded. “I’d say you’ve more than proven yourself. I’m going to have you start coming in every Monday to work with me for a few hours. If I can teach you the basics, like how to put air in tires, change the oil, things like that, I can add you on as a maintenance technician. It would come with a pay raise too. The harder stuff will come later, but we can start on this old girl.” 

“I would like that a lot,” Rex agreed, slowly walking around the car to look at everything. “I don’t know what to say except thank you. You’ve already done so much for me.”

“It’s well-deserved,” Anakin assured him. “How about we get started, huh?” 

Rex spent the next three hours with Anakin in the cramped little garage, listening to him ramble about cars and basic mechanical skills. Only about half of it was actually useful technical information, and the other bits were random stories about Anakin growing up with Obi-Wan or how Anakin acquired his shop or Anakin’s kids, who had just turned four. Rex had seen pictures of Anakin’s kids a thousand times, but he still obliged when Anakin pulled out his phone to show him the latest photos of Luke in his dance class and Leia in her soccer uniform. Seeing Anakin’s pride at his kids’ every accomplishment made Rex happy, but his heart was heavy. He couldn’t recall a single time Jango had taken an interest in his hobbies or even stopped to say he was proud of his son. Rex had never felt like he had a father, even before Jango left. 

Anakin decided to call it quits in the early afternoon. Rex left with the promise of returning the next Monday to continue working on their special project. He was truly honored that Anakin had chosen him to help instead of Ahsoka or Saw, and he was determined to show Anakin that he could learn quickly and pick up new skills. 

It was summer, so Rex expected his brothers to be home when he got back from work. He could hear Jesse and Kix in their room arguing about something as he got a cold drink from the fridge. The door was open, so he could make out their voices clearly. 

“No, idiot, let me.”

“Quit it! I’m just gonna type in his name.”

“Do you even know how to spell it?”

“I’m pretty sure I can figure it out. It’s like ‘mango’ with a J, right?” 

“Mango with a J-- I’m going to fucking hurt you, Jess. Just type it in.” 

“Okay, okay! I’m doing it!”

Rex narrowed his eyes as he listened to the boys argue. That sounded suspicious. He let his brothers borrow his laptop occasionally for homework and watching movies, but that definitely wasn't either of those activities. Rex set his drink down on the counter and walked into the boys’ room. “What are you doing?”

Kix and Jesse looked up from the laptop, eyes wide. “Uh… Rex! You’re home early!” Kix said, his voice far too friendly. “We’re just watching a movie.”

“No, you’re not.” Rex walked over and snatched the laptop out of their hands before they could hide what they were doing. “Why are you searching up Dad’s name?”

“Would you believe it’s for a school project?” Jesse tried. Kix elbowed him in the side. 

“It’s summer, dumbass.”

Rex shut the laptop’s lid. “I’m not in the mood for joking around. Tell me what you were doing right now. Why would you want to search for his name?”

Kix sighed and crossed his arms over his chest. “It was my idea. I just wanted to see if there was anything online about Dad.”

“No. I didn’t give you permission to use my laptop for that.” Rex took the laptop back into his room and put it on his desk before he came back into the boys’ room. “You better drop this right now. I don’t want to hear you talking about Dad again.”

“Rex!” Kix protested. “He’s our dad too! You can’t just ban us from the Internet! We can look up whatever we want.”

Rex clenched his jaw. “So what, you’re trying to look for Dad? That’s it? He left us, Kix. Right after you were born. And he didn’t give a shit about what he left behind, which is pretty obvious to me since he’s never tried to contact us.”

“Well, maybe we wouldn’t have to look up his name on the Internet if you would actually talk about him!” Jesse snapped. Rex raised his eyebrows, surprised by Jesse’s sudden anger. 

“Jess, you don’t understand--”

“No,  _ you  _ don’t understand!” Jesse got up from the bed and stood in front of Rex. “You got to have a dad. Even if he sucked, you still had a dad. Me and Kix never did. Hardcase barely remembers him. Fives and Echo won’t talk about him either. We don’t even know what he looks like because nobody has any pictures. So… yeah, we wanted to know more about him. I think we deserve to know about him even if he’s the worst Dad in the world.”

Rex closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Decade-old emotions were flooding back; suddenly, he was nine years old again, listening to his mother cry quietly in her room while he wondered why Jango didn’t love them enough to stay. “He abandoned us. That’s all you need to know. He doesn’t care about you or any of us. What do you think is gonna happen, huh? You think you’re gonna message him on Facebook or something and he’ll just be so happy you found him that he’ll want to take us back? He doesn’t give a shit about you, Jesse. I don’t know why you care about him.” 

“Fuck you, Rex.” Jesse sniffled and scrubbed harshly at his eyes to get rid of the wetness there. “You don’t get it. You never will. Just… go away! Just get out!” He pushed at Rex, still trying to stop the flow of tears down his cheeks. 

Rex stumbled back and held out his hands to placate Jesse. “Jesse--”

“I said get out! I don’t wanna talk to you! You’re not my dad and you never will be, so just shut up!” Jesse shoved Rex again, this time forcing him outside the room. All Rex could do was stare at the door as Jesse slammed it in his face. Behind him, Hardcase poked his head into the hall from the living room. 

“Oh, you fucked up.”

“Can it, Hardcase.” Rex exhaled shakily and turned away from the door. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Actually, I do.” Hardcase stepped into the hallway and shoved his hands into his pockets. “I’m the one who told them to Google Dad’s name.”

Rex’s head snapped up. “What? Why would you do that?” 

Hardcase shrugged. “Because they want to know about Dad, and you won’t tell them anything. I don’t even remember what he looked like or what his voice sounded like. I was what, five when he left? Old enough to wonder why all of sudden Dad was gone and Mom was crying all the time, but young enough not to realize what a piece of shit he was. Kix and Jesse don’t even have that. They didn’t even have the opportunity to grieve dad’s loss because they never knew him. So I said if they want to know more and you won’t tell them, maybe they should try looking up his name to see what comes up.”

“There’s nothing there for them except pain, Hardcase. That was a stupid thing to tell them. You’re just giving them false hope that maybe he wasn’t a bad person, maybe he left for a good reason. Well, he did leave for a reason. He left because he didn’t care about us and he didn’t care about all the pain he caused when he abandoned us. That’s all,” Rex hissed. 

Hardcase scoffed. “You really can’t see why Jesse and Kix want to know their father? The father that they literally have no memories of and know nothing about except his name?”

Rex shook his head and tried to keep his voice even and calm. “No, I can’t. I moved on when he left. I don’t care what happened to him, where he is, or what he’s doing. He’s out of our lives. He made that choice for us when he left. I didn’t choose this.”

Hardcase watched Rex as he ranted and sighed. “Maybe you didn’t move on as well as you think you did.” With that, he turned around and went back into the living room. 

Rex stormed into his room, slamming the door behind him. He was a Fett, after all; they were all stubborn to the core with a healthy dose of anger issues thanks to good old Dad. Rex sat on his bed, silently fuming at the idea that any one of his brothers could want anything to do with Jango Fett after what he did to them. Kix and Jesse had no idea how much pain Jango had caused when he had abandoned the family more than a decade ago. They couldn’t remember how it had crushed their mother, how the lines of worry had slowly creased her young face, how she had to take on two jobs just to put food in their mouths and often went without herself. They didn’t understand how bleak the first Christmas without Jango was, how much Rex had hoped his father would send a card on his 10th birthday, or how Rex suddenly went from having a family to being a stand-in parent himself. 

But how could they understand? They were just babies when he left. All they had ever known was Rex and their mother, their beautiful, strong, kind mother, who wouldn’t have been on the road that night driving home from her second job if it wasn’t for Jango. Rex was dimly aware of the tears splashing down his cheeks as the emotion built up inside of him. He had spent ten years wondering why he wasn’t good enough, why Jango didn’t love him enough, going over every interaction in his head to try to justify his father’s absence. Rex wasn’t a bad kid. Neither were his brothers, even if Kix cried loudly and Jesse had tantrums and Hardcase still wet the bed in kindergarten. They were just kids; they didn’t know, couldn’t possibly understand, why Jango would leave them behind like they were worth nothing more to him than garbage. 

Rex got down from his bed and knelt on the floor, reaching far underneath to grab onto an old shoebox. He pulled it out, tossing away the lid and carefully taking out the two possessions he valued most in the world. The first was a photograph of his mother, now creased and faded with age, that he had brought with him after that very first night when Officer Windu and Officer Gallia had shown up on their doorstep. The second was a pocket knife with the initials ‘JF’ carved into it. It was his father’s, given to Rex on his 9th birthday about a month before Jango left. It was the last piece of Jango that Rex had. 

With a heavy sigh, Rex took the two items with him and went back to the boys room. He stood in front of the door for a moment before he knocked. “Jesse, can I come in?”

“I said I don’t wanna talk to you,” Jesse responded, his voice thick. Rex knew he had been crying, but Jesse would never admit it. 

“Please? I have something to show you.” 

There was silence on the other side, and then Rex could hear two feet hitting the ground and approaching the door. Jesse opened it up just a crack and glared suspiciously at Rex. “What?”

“Can you let me in?” Rex asked again. 

Jesse huffed and rolled his eyes. “Fine.” He opened the door and went to go flop back on the bottom bunk where Kix was already sitting. 

Rex closed the door behind himself and walked over to kneel in front of the bed. “I’m sorry,” he started, and he could only hope that his words would be enough. “Not just for yelling at you, but for trying to pretend Dad doesn’t exist. I forgot… that even though the memories I have are shitty, I still have them. Things were bad, but there were good times too. And you two didn’t get a chance to experience any of it.” 

Jesse looked at Kix and then back at Rex. “I don’t even remember what it was like to be a family,” he said slowly. “I never knew Dad. And Mom…” His voice cracked. “I lose more of her every day. I can barely remember what she looked like now. I forgot her voice a long time ago.”

Kix looked down at the bedspread and picked at one of the seams. “All I can remember is the shape of her face and… a song, I think she used to sing to me, but I don’t remember the words. Sometimes I can hear her voice in my head, but it’s faded now.” He finally looked up at Rex. “We just wanted to know what he was like. What… it might’ve been like if we could’ve been a family. I know it’s stupid.”

“It’s not stupid.” Rex unfolded the picture in his hands and handed it to Kix. “This is the only picture I have of her. I took it from our house before they made us leave.” He produced the pocket knife and gave it to Jesse. “And this is Dad’s. I almost didn’t take it with me when we left, but I just couldn’t leave it behind. Even then, even two years after he left, I wanted something of his to have. So I do understand, more than you think. Not a day goes by that I don’t think about how things would be different if he was still here. But he isn’t. And I can’t just forgive him for abandoning all of us.”

Jesse gently took the pocket knife and turned it over in his hands, tracing the ‘JF’ with his finger. He scooted over, making room between himself and Kix on the bed so Rex could sit with them. “Why did Dad leave?”

“I don’t know. I wish I did,” Rex replied. “I doubt I’ll ever know. He left a note for Mom, but I never read it. She burned it after he was gone.” 

“Was he a good dad before he left?” Kix looked up at Rex. “Was he happy when I was born? He didn’t leave because of me, did he?”

“No, no.” Rex shook his head. “No, it wasn’t your fault at all. You were just a baby. You were a big baby, too. Nine pounds.” He smiled. “Mom was so happy when you were born, Kix. She loved you so much. You’re right; she did sing to you, every night. Jesse too. Dad… well, he was gone a lot. But when he was there, he would feed you and play with you and do normal dad stuff. It wasn’t fair of me to say he didn’t care about us. He did, when he was there.”

Jesse nodded and flicked open the blade of the knife. “Did Mom love him?”

“I think she did, but it was rough near the end.” Rex let out a breath. “They fought a lot. Dad yelled. He scared me sometimes. One day, he took me and Fives and Echo to school and then he just never picked us up again. He was gone. Mom had to come get us, and I had never seen her so upset, but she was trying to hide how bad it was. She had to explain to us that Dad wasn’t coming back home. Things were different after that.” 

Kix looked down at the picture for a moment longer before he handed it back to Rex. “Can we put it in a frame? Maybe it can go in the living room. That way we can all see it.” 

Rex nodded and took the picture. “I like that idea, Kix.” He turned to Jesse. “I want you to keep that.”

Jesse looked up in surprise. “Really? You mean it?”

“Yeah, I mean it. I want you to keep it. It was Dad’s, and now it’s yours. You have the same initials,” Rex pointed out. 

Jesse smiled slightly as he touched the carving again. “Yeah, I guess we do.”

“You were right about one thing, Jess. I’m not your Dad. I never will be. And I don’t want to be. But it is my job to take care of you, and that’s what I’m gonna do. I fuck up. As ‘Case so kindly pointed out to me. I’m doing the best I can. I just want you all to know that even if Dad left us, I never will,” Rex said. 

“You’re a pretty good not-Dad,” Jesse said quietly as he closed the blade of the knife. 

Rex cleared his throat to get rid of the thick emotion that had settled there. “I’ll get a frame for the picture of Mom. I think Hardcase will like it too.” 

“He will.” Kix tugged on Rex’s shirt and gave him a hug when he turned towards his brother. “Thanks, not-Dad.”

Rex closed his eyes and hugged Kix back tightly. If Jango’s absence had given him this, then maybe it was worth it in the end. “You’re welcome, Kix.”


	9. Chapter 9

“Hardcase, where are my keys?” Rex called from the kitchen. He’d already searched it top to bottom, and he had a prime suspect for who could’ve taken them. 

“Uh… I don’t have your keys!” Hardcase yelled back. He and the boys were watching a movie together, and he wasn’t particularly inclined to get up to help Rex look. 

“You did this morning when you went to get the mail!” Frustrated, Rex popped his head into the living room. “Where did you put them?”

“Oh!” Hardcase grinned sheepishly. He was scatterbrained and often misplaced things, much to his brothers’ annoyance. “They’re in our room. I think. Probably on the dresser.”

“You think? Oh, that’s great.” Rex shook his head and went into the boys’ room to search for his keys. “Put them back in the bowl on top of the refrigerator next time!”

“I know, I know! Sorry!”

Rex searched the boys’ dresser and came up empty handed, so he was forced to get on his hands and knees to look around the floor. He was going to have to remind them yet again to clean their room. It looked like an absolute wreck, with clothes and various objects strewn across every available surface. Rex’s keys were nowhere to be found on the floor, so he went into his room to grab a flashlight off his desk and then resumed the hunt. The keys were finally located behind the dresser along with some change, a discarded sock, and a baggie of something taped to the back. Frowning, Rex first retrieved his keys and then the baggie. It was no accident that it was back there. Someone had intentionally placed it there, and Rex wanted to know what it was. 

When Rex brought the baggie into the light, it was immediately obvious what the substance inside was. He smelled it just to make sure, and yes, it was weed. Rex had never smoked it, but anyone who’d gone to public high school knew what that smell was. Tucked inside the baggie was a dime bag with several small white pills, which concerned Rex even more than the weed. He clenched his jaw and went to the door of the room to yell into the living room. 

“Hardcase! Come here right now!”

“Aw, Rex! This is the good part of the movie!”

“Right now!” 

His tone was serious enough to get Hardcase off his ass. Rex was standing in the boys’ room, one hand on his hip, holding out the baggie. “What the hell is this?”

Hardcase had the audacity to laugh when he saw it. “It’s not mine, Officer,” he joked. 

Rex narrowed his eyes. “That’s not funny. I can’t believe you would bring this in here and keep it in your room where Kix and Jesse could get to it. What are these pills, huh? What’re you on?”

Hardcase held his hands up in the universal “calm down” sign. “Whoa, hold on. I’m serious. It’s not mine. I’ve never taken any pills. I’ve never even smoked weed. Even if I had, I wouldn’t bring it in here. I’m not stupid.”

Rex stared at Hardcase for a moment. Hardcase was notoriously bad at lying, but Rex hadn’t noticed any of his usual tells. He was telling the truth this time. “Then how do you explain this? I found it taped behind your dresser. Somebody in this house put it there.”

“I don’t know how it got there. You’re gonna have to ask them.” Hardcase jerked his thumb in the direction of the living room. 

Rex didn’t want to believe either of his middle school-aged brothers were smoking or doing drugs, but he couldn’t rule it out. He called for them to come in. “Kix, Jesse, get in here.”

As soon as the boys entered their room and saw what Rex was holding, their faces morphed into twin expressions of terror. “It’s not mine!” Jesse blurted out. 

Kix threw a betrayed look at Jesse and crossed his arms over his chest. “I plead the 5th.”

“Yeah, that doesn’t work in this house. So this is yours?” Rex had to take a moment to calm himself down so he wouldn’t scream at Kix. He certainly wanted to, but if he had learned anything in the past few months of trying to parent his brothers, it was that yelling always made the situation worse. “Where did you get this from? You’re twelve fucking years old. How did you get weed? And what the hell are these pills?” 

Kix, sensing that Rex was on the verge of a meltdown, sighed and gave it up before he could make the situation worse. “Okay, I brought it in here. But it’s not mine. I’ve never done drugs.”

“You still haven’t answered my question. Where did you get this from?” Rex demanded. 

“From a friend, okay! A friend from school!” Kix exclaimed. “There’s this kid in my grade and he has older friends in high school. They all smoke, but I don’t. Tell him, Jesse!”

Jesse’s eyes widened when all of the attention shifted to him. “First I wanna say that I had no part in this. But Kix is right. He doesn’t smoke, only his friends do. I don’t like them, so I don’t really hang around them.” 

“Who are these friends? Why haven’t you told me about them?” Rex asked, looking between the two of them. “Kix, why the hell would they give you drugs? People don’t just give away free weed, and they especially don’t give away pills like this. Are these prescription pills? Ecstasy?” 

Kix huffed. “I don’t know what the pills are. One of the guys that’s in high school gave me that bag and told me to hide it until he asked for it back. I guess his parents found his weed stash or something so he needed a place to keep it. I didn’t tell you about my friends because I knew you’d get mad like you are right now. I’m finally friends with cool people and you wanna ruin it.”

“My goal isn’t to ruin your social life, Kix. My goal is to keep you safe and keep you away from shit like this.” Rex shook the bag. “Tell your friend he’s gonna be missing out. You’re not his mule, and I’m not keeping this in my apartment.” He pushed past the boys and went to the bathroom, flipping up the toilet lid. Kix followed and gasped when he saw what Rex was doing. 

“Rex, don’t!” Kix pleaded, pulling on his arm. “He’s gonna be mad at me!”

“If he wants to be mad at someone, tell him to come talk to me.” Rex emptied the weed and the dime bag of pills into the toilet and flushed it, throwing away the baggies into the trash can. “Look, no teenager in high school wants to hang out with a little kid. They’re taking advantage of you. They’re not your friends.”

Kix pulled away from Rex and glared. “Shut up, you don’t even know them. They are my friends. It’s not that big of a deal.”

“Not that big of a deal? Let me tell you something.” Rex pulled Kix back into the bedroom, where Jesse and Hardcase were busy trying not to get in the middle of Rex’s warpath. “Do you know what would’ve happened if someone from CPS came in here and found those drugs?”

Kix refused to look at Rex and stared at the ground instead. “No.”

“Even if they weren’t mine, I still could’ve gotten arrested for possession,” Rex said. “Maybe they would’ve charged me with child endangerment too. If that had happened, you would’ve had to go back to a foster home. I definitely would never get you back. They wouldn’t let somebody be a guardian after getting arrested for having drugs in the house, not to mention the fact that I would’ve been facing jail time. I’m already on really thin ice, and I’m being watched like a hawk by Luminara and CPS to make sure I can take care of you. So yes, it is a big deal. I’m not doing this because I’m mean. I’m doing this because it’s my job to keep you safe and if I can’t do that, they’ll take you away from me.” Rex bent down so he could be at eye level with Kix. “Do you understand?”

Kix shifted and kicked at a pile of clothes on the floor. “Yeah,” he said after a moment. “I didn’t really think about that. I just didn’t want to seem lame. They’re popular at school, and I’ve never had a lot of friends. I wasn’t gonna smoke with them or take any pills, I promise.”

“I believe you,” Rex said. “I know you weren’t trying to sabotage me, but that’s just the reality. Even if I didn’t have CPS constantly looking over my shoulder, I still wouldn’t want you keeping drugs in here. And I definitely don’t want you around people who are going to give you weed and who knows what else.” He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m going to ground you for a month. I don’t want you around these friends at school and I don’t want you hanging out with them outside of school either.” Kix started to protest, but Rex cut him off. “No arguing. And Jesse, you’re grounded for two weeks because I know you knew about this.”

Jesse groaned. “They aren’t even my friends!”

“I don’t care. You knew about the drugs and you should’ve told me.” Rex took in a deep breath. “That’s my final decision. And if I ever find drugs or alcohol or anything else in here that shouldn’t be, the punishment is going to be a lot worse.”

Jesse shoulder-checked Kix and then stormed out into the living room. “Nice going.” 

Rex sighed. “Kix, you know I’m just trying to protect you.”

“Yeah, but you didn’t have to do that. Everybody at school is gonna hate me now.” Kix turned away and curled up on his bed. 

“Look. I…” Rex looked at the time and cursed softly. “I’m already late for work. We’ll talk more when I get home, okay?” Kix didn’t respond, and Rex knew he had to go. Reluctantly, he grabbed his keys and ran to the bus stop, hoping he could still make the next bus.

Even at work, Rex couldn’t get the situation off his mind. It was slow at the shop, so Anakin pulled him off the floor so they could work on their special project. They’d been at it for a few months now and Rex had learned a lot, but he couldn’t concentrate on anything Anakin was saying with the argument weighing heavily on his mind. Rex couldn’t shake the feeling that Kix was in over his head with these so-called friends, and the fact that these kids were willing to give drugs to a twelve-year-old didn’t bode well. Kix was hiding serious things from him, and Rex was left to wonder if he’d done something to make Kix think he couldn’t trust him. 

“Rex? You okay?” 

Rex shook his head and handed Anakin the screwdriver he’d been asking for. “I’m fine. Sorry. What were you saying about, um… brake pads?” 

“Right.” Anakin looked at Rex for a moment before he ducked his head down again. “Watch this. You’ll want to be careful when you start to remove this piece…”

For the rest of his shift, Rex tried to push Kix out of his mind and concentrate on his work. He couldn’t let Anakin see how distracted he really was or he might get sent home, and he needed the money. But even if he needed the hours, Rex was secretly relieved when Anakin got a phone call and decided to call it quits early. 

“Hey, I’m gonna close up early. Obi-Wan’s bringing Luke over and I gotta take him home.” Anakin wiped his hands off with a rag and looked at Rex. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yeah.” Rex smiled a little. “I’m good. Do you need anything else?” 

“No, that’s it.” Anakin walked back into the main garage with Rex to let Ahsoka know they were closing up shop. 

“Hey, Rex,” Ahsoka called as Rex started to close out the invoices for the day. She leaned against the desk and played with one of the pens from the holder. “So I was thinking… You said you wanted to see that new superhero movie that’s coming out, and opening night is Thursday. Maybe we could go see it together.”

Rex glanced up from the computer and paused. He hadn’t really been paying attention to what Ahsoka was saying and had to backtrack for a moment. “I can’t do Thursday. I work, and then I have to be there when the boys get home from school so we can do a video call with Fives and Echo.”

“Oh, that’s okay.” Ahsoka smiled. “Maybe Saturday instead?”

“Saturday’s not good. I just…” Rex blew out a frustrated breath. “I’m sorry, I have a lot going on. I don’t really have time to see a movie.”

Ahsoka looked down and slowly put the pen back into the holder. “Right. It’s okay. No problem.” She shook her head a little. “Is everything okay with your brothers?”

Rex hit the button to print the close-out paperwork. “It’s… complicated. I’m handling it. Hey, you should tell Anakin that Obi-Wan’s here.” He gestured to the front of the garage where Obi-Wan had just come in with Luke. 

Ahsoka nodded and pushed away from the desk. She stepped into the back office area and called to Anakin. “Obi-Wan’s here!”

Anakin came out of his office, and his entire demeanor changed when he saw Luke. He grinned and knelt down, holding open his arms as his son ran over to him. “Hey, buddy! How was dance class?”

Luke raced over to Anakin and threw his arms around his neck. “It was really fun, Papa! I'm learning a lot. Obi said I'm the best in my class!"

“He absolutely is,” Obi-Wan agreed. “Do you need me to take him home?” 

“Nah, I got him. We closed up early.” Anakin picked Luke up and held him on his hip. “We’re gonna get ice cream on the way home. Does that sound good?”

Luke’s eyes widened and he nodded quickly. “Can we get strawberry?”

“Of course we can. And chocolate for Leia and vanilla for your mom. I’m the crazy one who likes mint.” Anakin looked at Obi-Wan. “Thanks for taking him to class.”

“Anytime. And Luke,” Obi-Wan said, smiling at the little boy in his father’s arms. “Keep practicing. You're doing very well.” 

“I will!” 

“Hey, Rex?” Anakin called. “Can you and Ahsoka finish the closing paperwork?” 

Rex held up the invoices that he had double-checked and signed. “Already done. Go ahead, I’ll lock the doors.”

“Thank you. C’mon, buddy!” Anakin set Luke down and held his hand as they walked out the door, Luke still babbling about dance class. 

Ahsoka got to work putting away her tools as Rex filed the paperwork. Obi-Wan, who had decided to stick around for a few minutes, came over to talk to him. “Rex, how have you been? We haven’t talked in quite some time.”

“Good. Anakin and I are working on that old junker he bought. He said if I can learn some basic skills, he’ll move me to part-time maintenance,” Rex said. “I feel really lucky to be here. So I’m glad to have this job.”

“I’m truly happy this worked out for you. How are your brothers?” Obi-Wan asked.

Rex paused as he shuffled the paperwork and slowly put them in the correct files. “They’re… good. For the most part. Fives and Echo are gone now. It’s just me, ‘Case, Jesse, and Kix.”

Obi-Wan nodded. “And that’s been going well?”

Rex shut the filing cabinet. “Like I said, for the most part. Look, I need to close up--”

“It’s alright if it isn’t.” 

Rex frowned and glanced at Obi-Wan. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“I just mean that it’s alright if things haven’t been going well. It isn’t easy taking full responsibility for your brothers like you have even if they are teenagers,” Obi-Wan said. “Anakin’s told me the last few weeks have been stressful for you. I just wanted to see if you’re alright. I don’t mean to pry.”

Rex snorted and grabbed his keys. Obi-Wan’s way of caring about someone often involved giving unsolicited advice, although Rex was used to that by now. “A lot’s been going on, but it’s nothing I can’t handle.” 

Obi-Wan considered that. “Perhaps you’d like to get a cup of coffee so we can catch up. It’s entirely up to you, but it would be my treat.”

Rex thought about Kix, who was back at home, probably still incredibly pissed at him. “Maybe… for a little while,” Rex said hesitantly. Thinking about going home to face his brothers was giving him a headache, and any excuse to stay out of the apartment was welcomed. 

“I’ll meet you outside.” Obi-Wan nodded at Rex and left to wait by his car. 

Rex walked out with Ahsoka and made sure all the doors were closed and locked. Ahsoka started towards her car once everything was secure, but stopped for a moment before she got in. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Rex.”

Rex glanced back in her direction as he started walking towards Obi-Wan. “Yeah. See you tomorrow.”

Obi-Wan was gracious enough to offer Rex a ride to a nearby coffee shop. It was much fancier than Rex expected, and it was certainly not a place he would’ve ever stepped foot in if he was paying for himself. He considered paying a dollar for a McDonald’s black coffee a treat, let alone some fancy Italian blend that cost more than he made in an hour. Obi-Wan bought a hot tea for himself and went to sit with Rex in some oversized chairs in the corner. 

“You seem distracted by something,” Obi-Wan commented as he stirred a little bit of honey into his tea. 

Rex sipped his coffee, thinking to himself that McDonald’s would have done just as well. “It’s my brothers,” he confessed. “A lot is going on right now, and I just… I just don’t know what the hell I’m doing, that’s all. I’m making it up as I go along.”

Obi-Wan chuckled and raised his cup to his lips. “Parenting is a little harder than you thought it would be, hm?”

“That’s just it. I’m not their parent. Our parents are dead,” Rex said, and even if that wasn’t totally true, it certainly felt like it. “I don’t know how I can ever measure up.”

“I felt much the same way when I took in Anakin,” Obi-Wan said. “It’s perfectly normal to feel overwhelmed. Even if you aren’t actually their parent, you’re still in a parenting role. I can see that you care for your brothers deeply, but that doesn’t mean you won’t still have struggles.”

“Did you struggle when you took in your brother?” Rex asked. 

Obi-Wan chuckled and set down his tea. “Oh, yes. Very much so. Anakin is my half brother. We have the same father, but different mothers. It was a strained relationship, to say the least. It’s a bit of a complicated story, but essentially, Anakin’s mother became very sick when he was nine years old. I was twenty at the time, and our father had already passed. My mother wasn’t in the picture. I was given the choice to take on guardianship when she died, and I struggled with that decision for a long time. I was the only family he had. Eventually, I decided that it was the right thing to do and I took him when she passed. Looking back, I know it was the correct choice, but back then I was certainly in over my head.”

“What did you do when you felt overwhelmed?” Rex asked. “Did Anakin ever get angry at you?”

“He was angry at me more often than not.” Obi-Wan smiled. “Especially in his teenage years. When I felt overwhelmed, I tried to remind myself that the feeling was temporary and I knew the right thing to do. I loved Anakin very much, and I still do. We fought, yes, but I always carried that with me. I made a promise to myself that I would not give up on him no matter how angry he got or how much we argued. I’m very glad that I stuck out those years of hardship because we wouldn’t have the relationship we do today if I hadn’t.”

Rex traced the rim of his coffee cup. “Were you scared he would get taken away from you?”

“In the beginning, yes, but as time went on, I think I proved myself a competent caretaker.” Obi-Wan leaned forward. “I sense that something may have happened that’s causing your worry.” 

Rex closed his eyes briefly. Obi-Wan was his friend and he knew he could trust him, but it was still terrifying to admit his mistakes out loud. “I found out one of my brothers has been hanging out with a group of sketchy older kids. They gave him drugs. He’s not on drugs, but they were in his room and it freaked me out. Obviously I was angry with him and I got rid of the drugs, but… I don’t know if I should’ve handled it differently.”

“I see.” Obi-Wan frowned and brought his hand up to his chin. “That does sound serious. I can see why you would be stressed about that situation.”

“It’s not just that. Last week…” Rex bit his tongue, but then the words came rushing out before he could stop them. “Last week Fives and Echo called to tell us they’re being deployed. They told me not to worry, that they would be safe and they’d be back in eight months, but I am worried. They’re my brothers, and I don’t want them to get hurt. Maybe I overreacted about Kix’s friends because I’m stressed about the deployment, I don’t know. I’m trying not to show how worried I am because I don’t want my brothers to see, but I can’t…” Rex looked down at his hands helplessly. “I can’t do it anymore. I can’t do everything. All I do is work, and then I come home, and I have to deal with my brothers who don’t want to listen to me. Half the time I think they hate me. Don’t they understand that I’m doing it all for them?”

“Take a breath, Rex.” Obi-Wan reached out and set a reassuring hand on Rex’s arm. “I think you may not realize how sensitive your brothers are to your moods. If you’re stressed, I’m sure they are as well. There were many times when I was under immense amounts of pressure, and I know I took it out on Anakin. He did the same to me. I’m not perfect, and neither are you. You must give yourself permission to be a human being. Bottling up your emotions will only worsen the situation in the long run.”

Rex nodded and tried to control his breathing. “I just want what’s best for them and it feels like they’re fighting me every step of the way.”

“Well, they’re teenagers,” Obi-Wan said. “Unfortunately, that’s part of growing up. Your job is to guide them and help them learn how to make good decisions. If they’re mad at you, you’re probably doing a good job.” 

Rex leaned back in his chair. “How can I show them that I’m just trying to do what’s best for them? Kix thinks I’m out to ruin his life because I don’t want him hanging around those friends that are obviously bad for him. Before that, it was Jesse, he got pissed at me… and Hardcase too. There was a whole situation with him getting suspended. I don’t know how I’m supposed to handle all of this.”

“My biggest piece of advice? Take it one day at a time,” Obi-Wan said. “I never would’ve made it through with Anakin if I had dwelled on every argument and every bad thing he did. After awhile I realized that many times, he lashed out at me because he was trying to deal with another stressful situation and he didn’t know how to handle his emotions. I was finally able to get through to him when I figured out the root cause of his behavior. It could be the same with your brothers. You mentioned that it’s a stressful time for all of you since two of your brothers are deploying soon. That could be contributing to the problem.”

“I never thought about that,” Rex said slowly. “I never talked to Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix about how they felt about the deployment.”

“Just acknowledging their feelings can go a long way. And it’s important to give yourself a break, too,” Obi-Wan pointed out. “Working yourself into the ground will quickly overwhelm you.”

“I can’t remember the last time I had a day off,” Rex admitted. “My birthday is coming up. I guess I could take it off.”

“You’d be surprised how much a good night’s sleep and a day of relaxation can revive you,” Obi-Wan said. “Just remember, it will do you much better to dwell on the good moments than the bad. Take some time to think about why you wanted to do this in the first place. And when the bad moments come, you’ll remember why they’re worth it.”

Rex let out a long breath. “Do all high school English teachers take this much pity on their former students and give them life advice?”

“Mm, I would say not. Most of them aren’t as wise as I am.” Obi-Wan picked up his tea and took a drink. His eyes were twinkling. 

Rex shook his head in amusement and finished off his coffee. He threw the empty cup into a nearby trash can. “I should probably get back home.”

Obi-Wan stood up and tossed his cup as well. “If you don’t take into consideration anything else I’ve said, remember this: love them. In the end, that’s what they’ll remember. Not the fighting, not the yelling, not the anger and the punishments. They’ll remember that no matter what, you loved them.”

Rex got up from his chair. “I do. I would do anything for them.”

“Then I think you’ll be just fine,” Obi-Wan said. “Soon enough you’ll be my age and your brothers will constantly be bothering you about parenting advice. And asking you what to get their wife for her birthday because they forgot it was in a week and they didn’t get her anything besides the love in their heart.”

Rex stifled a laugh. “Anakin really did that?”

“Oh, you’d be surprised.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If only canon Obi-Wan had listened to this Obi-Wan's advice...


	10. Chapter 10

Rex’s birthday had never been an important event, and he honestly didn’t see why this one was any different. Turning twenty wasn’t a big deal to Rex. He didn’t feel any different than he did when he was nineteen, and if this was what it felt like to be an adult, Rex was starting to wonder if anybody actually knew what they were doing or if they were all flailing around in the dark like he was. The only reason Rex’s birthday was special was because he had the day off, and he’d give his brothers explicit instructions:  _ do not wake me up for anything.  _

To his brothers’ credit, Rex believed they were actually trying not to wake him up, but in true Fett fashion, they made more of a mess than they intended. Rex awoke to the sound of banging pots and pans, slamming cabinets, and whisper-arguing around 9am. Since he normally had to get up at 6am for work, he still considered this to be a significant improvement. Standing outside the kitchen, Rex watched in amusement as his brothers put forth their best attempt at making him a birthday cake.

“Quiet, Hardcase! You’re gonna wake him up!” Jesse hissed as he rapidly stirred the batter. 

“Me? You’re the one being loud! I’m just saying I think we need to add more flour. It’s too liquid-y,” Hardcase whisper-yelled back. 

“Like you know what a cake looks like. This is what the recipe said,” Kix insisted. 

“The cake is gonna suck and Rex is gonna hate it. You guys never listen to me,” Hardcase grumbled. 

“If it sucks, we’ll just make another one before he wakes up-- Rex!” Jesse stopped stirring and tried to hide the bowl when he noticed Rex standing there. “We were just… you know. Cooking. Or baking. Whatever.”

Rex leaned against the kitchen doorway and fought back a smile. “Baking, huh? Hardcase is right, you know. You might want to add a little more flour. That’s a pretty thin mix.”

Kix rolled his eyes, and Hardcase smirked smugly at his brothers. “Told you.”

“Alright, alright!” Jesse added another small spoonful of flour and mixed it in. 

Kix sighed. “Sorry if we woke you up. It was supposed to be a surprise.” 

“You didn’t wake me up,” Rex lied. “It’s still a good surprise. Thank you. Do you need my help?”

“No, you’re supposed to be resting. It’s your birthday. Go!” Hardcase pushed Rex out of the kitchen. “We’re having cake for breakfast. We’ll tell you when it’s done.”

Rex laughed and let Hardcase push him into the living room. “Okay, okay! I’m going.” He sat on the couch and turned on the TV. It felt strange to just sit around without anything to do, but it was a welcome change. Rex hadn’t realized how much he needed a break until he actually allowed himself to relax. Sleeping in, having breakfast made for him, and getting to watch trashy TV shows instead of working were luxuries Rex rarely got to indulge in. 

When Rex felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, he debated not answering. It was his day off, after all, and he couldn’t think of anyone that could be calling him besides Anakin. Rex let his phone go to voicemail, but then he felt it vibrating again. Whoever it was clearly needed to get a hold of him. With a sigh, Rex checked the caller ID and saw that it was indeed Anakin. He answered the phone. 

“Hey. I thought today was my day off.”

“It is,” Anakin responded. “Come outside!”

“What?” Rex frowned and got up from the couch. “Are you outside my apartment?” He peeked out the window and saw Anakin standing on the sidewalk below, waving at him. Obi-Wan, who was next to him, also gave a small half-wave. “Why are you here?”

Anakin laughed. “Just come outside.” 

“Alright, alright. Hold on.” Rex hung up the phone and yelled to his brothers in the kitchen. “I’m going outside for a minute! I’ll be back!” He shoved his feet into his boots by the door and grabbed his keys so he wouldn’t lock himself out. When he got down the stairs to the sidewalk, Anakin and Obi-Wan came over to him. 

“You know I couldn’t forget your birthday, Rex.” Anakin smiled and handed over the envelope in his hand. “Happy Birthday.”

Rex took the envelope. “You drove over here just to give me a card? I work tomorrow. You could’ve given it to me then.”

“I know, I know. But I’m impatient and I wanted you to have your gift today,” Anakin said. “Open it up.”

Rex shrugged and started tearing open the envelope. He didn’t know why Anakin was so excited to give him a birthday card, but his boss was weird like that sometimes. It was a simple card with a cute 20th birthday design on the front, and inside were the signatures of Anakin, Obi-Wan, Ahsoka, and Saw. Anakin had even allowed Luke and Leia to sign their names in big, blocky letters. A folded piece of paper fell out as Rex was looking at the card. Once he was done reading, he unfolded it and stared at it for a long time. 

“I don’t understand,” Rex said finally, looking up at Anakin’s anxious face. “What is this?”

“What does it say?” Anakin asked simply. 

“It’s the deed for the 2006 Impala we’ve been working on,” Rex said slowly. “Your car. But this is my name.” 

“It’s not my car. It never was, not really. I always planned to give it to you,” Anakin explained. “Everyone helped chip in on the initial cost to buy it, and I was able to get any replacement parts for pretty cheap. I know a guy. Once we’ve put the last few finishing touches on it and given it a new coat of paint, it’s yours.” Anakin paused. “On the condition you get your driver’s license, of course.”

All Rex could do was stand there in shock as he stared at the piece of paper in his hands. He had hoped one day to learn to drive and buy his own car, but that felt like the far-off future. He thought maybe he could afford it after Kix graduated and he was on his own, but now he was literally being handed a gift more generous than he could’ve expected in his wildest dreams. It was too much. 

“I can’t…” Rex shook his head and pressed a hand to his face. “This is too much. I can’t accept this.”

“I won’t tell you what to do, but I will tell you that Anakin will be severely disappointed if you don’t accept,” Obi-Wan said, smiling at Rex. “He’s been keeping this a secret for four months, and it nearly killed him.” 

“I don’t know how I can take this. You must’ve spent so much,” Rex said, his voice cracking near the end. He could barely see them through the moisture welling up in his eyes. 

“That’s why it was a combined effort,” Anakin said. “Are you okay?” 

Rex dropped his head, and then Obi-Wan was wrapping his arms around him. “It’s too much,” he muttered weakly into Obi-Wan’s chest. He could feel a hand on his back rubbing soothing circles. 

“It’s alright, Rex,” Obi-Wan said quietly. “You deserve it. I know you’ve been through quite a few hardships. I hope this will ease your burden.”

Rex’s first instinct was to pull away. He wasn’t good at expressing his emotions or showing affection, but there was Obi-Wan, grounding him to the world with his steady presence and calm words. Rex sagged against him, feeling suddenly so small and overwhelmed, and he could feel Anakin’s hand on his shoulder now. 

“You have a lot of people rooting for you, Rex,” Anakin said. “You’re family now. I want you to know that.”

Rex finally stepped back from Obi-Wan’s embrace and hastily scrubbed at his wet eyes. “It’s just a lot to take in. I’ve never had… this.” He waved his hand vaguely, hoping they would understand what he meant from the few words he was able to get out. Anakin and Obi-Wan weren’t just his mentors; they were father figures, everything Rex wished Jango had been. He couldn’t have wished for better role models in his life. Rex and his brothers had been alone for so long, and for the first time, he was beginning to feel like he had people that really cared about him outside of his blood family. 

“Hey, I get it. Take the day to process it. We’ll keep working on the car and hopefully it’ll be ready in a couple weeks. You’re gonna be alright, Rex.” Anakin said it so convincingly that Rex couldn’t help but believe him. 

“Thank you. I still can’t believe this, but… thank you,” Rex repeated. 

“I hope you enjoy your birthday and a well-deserved rest,” Obi-Wan said. 

“I am enjoying it, actually. My brothers are upstairs probably burning my birthday cake, so I should go check on them.” Rex smiled a little and slipped the card into his pocket. It still didn’t feel real. 

“Go on, then. And happy birthday!” Obi-Wan chuckled as Rex turned and dashed back up the apartment steps. Anakin and Obi-Wan stayed outside to wave at Rex one last time before he disappeared into the apartment. 

Somehow, the boys had managed not to burn down the kitchen and had set the cake aside to cool. “Who was outside?” Jesse asked as he snuck a taste of the buttercream frosting out of the jar. 

“It was Anakin and Obi-Wan.” Rex pulled out the deed so he could stare at it again. “They’re giving me the car I’ve been working on with Anakin.”

Hardcase’s jaw dropped open and he snatched the piece of paper from Rex’s hands. “You got a car? Holy shit!”

“Yeah. I’m gonna have to figure out how I’m going to pay for insurance and car tags, not to mention the fact that I don’t know how to drive.” Rex smiled a little as his brothers crowded around to look at the deed. “But I have a car. I can’t believe it.”

Hardcase’s eyes lit up. “Wait, does this mean I get to drive it? I’m sixteen. If I can get my license, I can drive it too, right?”

Rex just laughed. “No.” He paused. “We’ll see. Finish frosting the cake before Jesse eats all of it.” 

Between the four of them, the cake didn’t stand a chance once it was ready. They didn’t even bother cutting it up, instead choosing to grab forks and eat it straight out of the pan while they watched shitty reruns of old shows on TV. It was the best birthday Rex could’ve asked for. He didn’t need a big party or fancy presents. Spending the day with the people he cared about was enough. 

For the remainder of his birthday, Rex chose to laze around the house since he had absolutely no responsibilities for once. He figured he had the right to spend his birthday how he wanted to, and what he wanted more than anything was to do nothing. And take a nap. Rex couldn’t remember the last time he’d gotten to take a nap in the middle of the day, and he relished every second of his midday slumber. 

Sometime after Rex’s healthy birthday dinner of takeout pasta and an insane amount of breadsticks, he got another call, this time from Saw. He was insisting that Rex come over for a more “adult” party at his apartment, and Rex was wary about what that could mean. He was prepared to decline Saw’s offer before he heard who else would be there. 

“I invited Ahsoka. The three of us never get to hang out. C’mon, it’ll be fun.”

Rex was off the couch and shoving on his nicest pair of jeans before Saw could even finish trying to convince him. 

As Rex suspected, when Saw said “party”, he actually meant that he’d be providing enough alcohol to get the whole city drunk. Rex didn’t know how much Saw expected three people to drink. It looked like he was trying to stock an entire bar. Ahsoka was already there when Rex arrived, and she was reading the label on one of the bottles of vodka. 

“Wow. Grapefruit vodka? You don’t seem like the kind of guy to buy this stuff, Saw.”

“Don’t knock it ‘til you try it,” Saw said, setting out glasses for them. “Rex, c’mere. You’re a big boy now.” He grinned and patted Rex on the back. “That means you’re ready for big boy shit.”

Rex looked at the spread of alcohol and shook his head. “I’ve never had more than a couple beers.” 

“I know. I’m expanding your horizons.”

Ahsoka stifled a giggle as she watched Saw pour shots for all of them. “Go easy on him, Saw. Technically he’s not even legal yet.” 

Rex sat next to Ahsoka on Saw’s couch. “You have to rub that in my face?” She liked to tease him because she was actually older than him by a year. 

“Of course I do.” Ahsoka nudged Rex with her elbow and picked up one of the shots. “This smells absolutely vile. What is this?”

“What did you expect? It’s tequila.” Saw wiggled his eyebrows. “Gotta loosen up the kid over here. Always so uptight.” 

Rex picked up his shot and stared at the clear liquid. “Is it really that bad?”

Ahsoka shrugged. “I don’t drink tequila, but… I guess it’s worth a try? Come on. Lick your hand.” Rex stared at her, and she laughed. “I’m serious! Lick your hand.” Reluctantly, Rex licked the back of his hand, and she did the same to hers. “Now you put a little bit of salt on.” Ahsoka demonstrated by sprinkling a little bit of salt on the back of her hand. “You suck it off, and then take the shot. Ready?” 

It all seemed very strange and a little stupid to Rex, but he agreed. “Ready.” At the same time, they sucked the salt off their hands and took their shots. Rex gagged and coughed for a second until he felt Ahsoka shove a slice of lime into his mouth. She was laughing. 

“Saw, that’s seriously nasty!”

Rex made a face and spit the lime out. “Yeah, it’s not great,” he croaked. “I’m not doing that again.”

Saw watched them struggle for a moment and then passed Rex another drink. “Try this. I think you’ll like it better.”

Rex inspected the fruity drink and took a small sip. “That’s not bad. Kinda bitter. What is it?”

“Cranberry juice, orange juice, and citrus Smirnoff,” Saw responded. “A little easier going down, huh?” 

“Yeah. I’m not doing any more shots.” Rex had a feeling that the tequila would burn a lot more coming up than it did going down considering how much his stomach was already bubbling. 

“That’s okay. Don’t let Saw pressure you,” Ahsoka told him. She was sticking to a flavored hard seltzer for herself. “He just wants an excuse to get drunk.”

“Me? Getting drunk? Nah, that doesn’t sound like me.” Saw poured himself a jack and coke and settled down on the couch on Rex’s other side. “I made snacks and shit, so help yourself. Birthday boy gets to pick the movie.” Saw tossed him the remote. 

Rex scrolled through Netflix and settled on a comedy he knew they would all like. Ahsoka grabbed the bowl of popcorn and plopped it in Rex’s lap so they could share. Rex was glad that it was mostly dark in the room so Ahsoka couldn’t see how red his face was. She was practically snuggled up to him and kept reaching across his lap to grab handfuls of popcorn. It would’ve been a nice moment if it wasn’t for Saw and his tispy movie commentary, but Rex enjoyed it anyway. 

About halfway through the movie, Ahsoka rested her head on Rex’s shoulder and curled up on the couch. Rex’s drink was mostly gone and he was feeling lightheaded, though he wasn’t sure if it was actually the alcohol or just the butterflies in his stomach. By this point, Saw was just drunk enough to be oblivious, and he didn’t seem to notice how close they were. 

“Hold on, hold on.” Saw waved his hand and polished off his fourth drink. “I gotta piss. Tell me what I missed when I get back.” He got up and stumbled down the hall to the bathroom. 

Ahsoka watched him go and chuckled softly. “He’s kind of a mess.”

Rex snorted. “Yeah. Sometimes I don’t know how he functions.”

Ahsoka laid her head back down on Rex’s shoulder. “Are you having a good birthday?”

Rex tried to casually settle back against the couch, though he was afraid he was being much too obvious. “It’s good so far. I know you and Saw chipped in for my present.” He glanced down at her. “I don’t know how to thank you. It means a lot to me.”

Ahsoka bit her lip and sat up. “Actually… I have an idea for how you can thank me.”

Before Rex could process what she meant, Ahsoka had already leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. As soon as their lips met, Rex’s brain short-circuited. He was frozen. Ahsoka, sensing something was wrong, started to pull back. Rex mentally kicked himself for being an idiot and pressed forward, kissing her more firmly this time. This was his opportunity to show her how he felt, and he didn’t want to blow it. 

Ahsoka smiled into the kiss and pulled back after a minute. “I was hoping you felt the same way about me, but I wasn’t sure. Every time I asked you out, you always turned me down.”

“You asked me out?” Rex frowned. “When?”

Ahsoka laughed and kissed his cheek. “You’re such a dork. I guess I needed to be more direct.”

Rex lifted his arm and put it around her. “I guess so. I didn’t think my birthday could get any better, but… it just did.” 

Ahsoka cuddled up to Rex’s side and turned her attention back to the movie when Saw came back in. Saw sat down next to Rex, still somehow oblivious to the fact that he was the third wheel. 

“What’d I miss?”

“Oh, um…” Rex exchanged a glance with Ahsoka. “Not much. It looks like they’re in some kind of hostage situation.”

“A hostage situation? I knew the main character was gonna get them in trouble. He’s dumb as shit. Let me tell you something, if I was in this situation, here’s what I would do…”

By the time the movie was over, Ahsoka was dozing against Rex’s shoulder, and they were both ready to go home. Saw had stopped drinking and was slightly more sober, but certainly in no position to drive anywhere. 

“I took an Uber,” Ahsoka said. “Do you need me to call one for you, Rex?”

“You live pretty close to me. We could take the same one,” Rex suggested. Ahsoka smiled and pulled out her phone. 

“Perfect.”

“Hey, buddy.” Saw came up to Rex and gave him a big hug against his will, although Rex appreciated the sentiment. “Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, Saw.” Rex awkwardly patted his back until he let go. “And thanks for chipping in for the car.” 

“Sure, sure. You deserve it, kid. Don’t forget to relax sometimes, okay?” Saw said. 

“I know. You should probably relax a little less,” Rex teased. 

“Alright, you little shithead.” Saw laughed loudly and bent down to whisper in Rex’s ear. “By the way, you should ask Ahsoka out. I think she likes you.” 

Rex fought back a smile. “You’re right. Maybe I should.”

Ahsoka came over and gently squeezed Rex’s arm. “The Uber will be here in a few minutes.”

Saw walked them to the door and waved as they left. Rex stood with Ahsoka by the building as they waited for their car. “Saw said I should ask you out. He thinks you might like me.”

“Really?” Ahsoka smirked. “And what did you say?”

“I agreed with him.” Rex shoved his hands in his pockets. “So. Maybe we should go out sometime.”

“I would like that a lot,” Ahsoka replied. “I’m glad you finally got the balls to ask.”

Rex scoffed in disbelief. “You had to ruin the moment?”

“It’s not ruined. I’m just speaking the truth.” Ahsoka stepped closer to the street when their car pulled up. “Come on, birthday boy. Let’s get you home.” 

As they sat together in the backseat of the Uber, Ahsoka reached over and took Rex’s hand, lacing their fingers together. It was a quietly intimate moment, and Rex was suddenly very glad he’d agreed to come to Saw’s “party” despite his initial reservations. Rex’s stop was first, and he reluctantly let go of her hand to get out of the car. 

“Wait.” Ahsoka motioned for Rex to lean down and gave him another kiss when he did so. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Rex’s lips tingled when he finally moved away. “Yeah. See you then.” He shut the car door and waved as the Uber pulled away from the curb. He could still taste her strawberry chapstick on his lips as he turned to walk up the stairs to his apartment. 


	11. Chapter 11

“Jesse, let me see the list.”

Jesse frowned at the folded piece of paper. “Can we even get all of this stuff here?”

“It’s Wal-Mart. We can get everything here.” Rex snatched the list out of his brother’s hands. “I need to see what Fives and Echo asked for.”

Fives and Echo had been deployed for several months now. Rex was an anxious wreck for the first week, but when things started to settle down, he was finally able to partially relax. Although they weren’t in a hot zone, Rex was still concerned about their safety. He knew he would continue to worry about his brothers until they got to come home. 

It helped that the twins got to video chat with their brothers at least once a week, though the calls were always short and the video wasn’t the best quality. They also sent letters back and forth, often with lists of things they wanted and couldn’t get where they were at. Rex, Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix were putting together a care package to send later in the week and had stopped at the store to get the items on Fives and Echo’s list. 

“Okay, it says… socks. Double underlined and circled, so that’s important,” Rex said. “Underwear. Vaseline. Medical tape. Icy hot. Gold Bond anti-chafing sticks.”

“Ew,” Kix muttered. 

Rex ignored Kix and continued. “Any candy that won’t melt, so no chocolate. Snacks. A deck of cards. Something for Echo to read.” Rex scoffed at the next item. “Dip? Seriously, Fives?”

Hardcase pointed at the list. “It says, ‘for trading’.” 

“It better be.” Rex shoved the list into his pocket. “Let’s go. It should be pretty easy to find everything.” 

Rex let the boys pick out snacks for Fives and Echo while he searched for the boring stuff. He did end up getting dip for them because he was a good brother, although he prayed they hadn’t actually picked up the nasty habit. When Rex returned to the snack aisle, he found his brothers piling the cart high with candy, crackers, chips, and flavored pretzels. 

“You know this isn’t all going to fit in the box we got, right?” Rex asked, mentally calculating the damage to his wallet. 

“Yep. The rest is for us,” Jesse announced as he started to wheel the cart towards the checkout. “Did you get everything else?” 

“Yeah. We can pack the box when we get home and I’ll send it off later this week,” Rex said. 

Rex had yet to obtain his driver’s license, so the brothers had to take the bus back to the apartment after Rex paid for the groceries. On the way home, Hardcase got a text from someone that he eagerly answered. Kix leaned over the seat to try to read what he was typing. 

“Ooh, is that your boyfriend?”

The back of Hardcase’s neck flushed and he hid his screen so Kix couldn’t see it. “No. I don’t have a boyfriend. Shut up.”

Rex watched them both with a smile. “You know, it would be okay if you had a boyfriend.”

Hardcase shoved his phone back into his pocket hastily. “He’s not my boyfriend.” He huffed and looked at Rex. “I’m gonna go over to a friend’s house later, okay?  _ A friend. _ ”

Rex held up his hands. “Okay, okay. You can go over to your friend’s house. Do I at least get to know his name?”

“No,” Hardcase grumbled, fixing his gaze ahead. Jesse and Kix laughed at Hardcase and poked him until he got fed up and smacked both of them across the head. 

Despite Hardcase’s insistence that this boy he was texting was only a friend, Rex had a sneaking suspicion that wasn’t the whole truth. Rex allowed him to go over to his friend’s house for the afternoon to hang out, and when Hardcase got back, Rex was waiting on the couch. 

“‘Case, come here.” Rex muted the TV and set the remote aside. 

Hardcase stopped halfway down the hall to his room. “What is it?”

“I want to talk to you,” Rex said. “Just come over here.”

Reluctantly, Hardcase dragged himself over to the couch and sat down. “Okay.”

“So…” Rex shifted so he could better face his brother. “I know you said this friend of yours isn’t a boyfriend--”

Hardcase groaned and flopped back. “Rex, I told you, I don’t have a boyfriend--”

“Even if that’s true,” Rex interrupted, “we still need to talk about some things. Eventually you will get a boyfriend and you’ll probably want to have sex with that person. So we need to have a talk about how to keep yourself safe.”

Hardcase stared at Rex with wide eyes. “Please tell me you’re not actually trying to do this right now.”

“This is important, okay? Suck it up,” Rex said. He reached behind the couch and pulled out a plastic bag. “This is for you. Open it later.”

Hardcase handled the bag like it was an active explosive. “I can’t believe you. I know about condoms, Rex, I’m not gonna get an STD. And I’m definitely not gonna get anyone pregnant.”

Rex sighed impatiently. “If you would just let me talk, this would be over faster.” Hardcase tossed the bag on the floor and glared. 

“Fine. Get it over with.”

“Thank you,” Rex said. “Always use a condom. I’m sure you’ve already guessed there’s some in that bag for you. STDs are serious. Any type of contact with fluids can transmit STDs, so not just penetrative sex. Oral sex too. But things happen. Sometimes condoms break. If you think you’ve been exposed, you don’t have to be embarrassed about telling me. I’ll take you to get tested. I just want you to be safe, okay?”

Hardcase was looking anywhere but at Rex. “Okay, okay. Is that it?”

“No. I want to talk to you about consent too.” Rex’s tone turned serious. “‘Case, don’t let anybody pressure you into having sex. I’m being serious right now. If you’re not ready, you’re not ready. Both people have to want it. And if you decide in the middle that you don’t like it and you don’t want to do it anymore, then they need to stop. Look, if something does happen, you can tell me. I know I’m your brother and you’re embarrassed to talk about sex stuff with me. I can’t say I was excited to have this conversation with you. But I’m here for you. That’s it, I’m done.”

Hardcase let out a breath and finally looked at Rex. “I get it. Wear condoms, don’t have sex until I’m ready, make sure to ask for consent. Can I go now?”

Rex nodded. “You can go now.” Hardcase darted off the couch towards his room. “I do want to meet your boyfriend sometime!” Rex called down the hallway after him. Hardcase flipped him off and slammed the door to his room. Chuckling, Rex unmuted his show and settled back to watch. 

Rex’s brothers were generally good kids, so he wasn’t worried about Hardcase getting into trouble with a potential boyfriend. In fact, if he really did have a boyfriend, Rex would be over the moon with happiness. Hardcase’s coming out had been a strain on their relationship. Fives and Echo were gone, and Rex had no idea how to talk to Hardcase about the emotions he was dealing with as he tried to figure himself out. He did his best, and he tried to show his brother that he cared. At the end of the day, that’s all he could do. If Hardcase was dating some boy, that was a good sign. Maybe he was finally starting to accept himself. Rex wasn’t a good dad, but he was learning how to be a great brother. It was his responsibility to keep his brothers safe, and he would continue to do that no matter how much they complained. 

***

Rex had to admit, work was a lot more fun now that he had a girlfriend. 

He suspected that Anakin was purposely manipulating the schedule so he and Ahsoka were on the same shifts, though his boss would never admit it. On busy days, Rex hardly got to talk to Ahsoka anyway because they were both buried in their work. Slow days, especially weekdays, were the best. It was usually just Rex and Ahsoka in the shop since Anakin didn’t come in often, and if there were no customers waiting, Rex could help Ahsoka out with maintenance. Now that he knew more about cars and could perform some minor repairs, he was actually helpful in the process. 

“Screwdriver.”

“Screwdriver.” Rex dug the right one out of the tool organizer and handed it to Ahsoka. 

“Oil.”

“Oil.” Rex set the can down next to her. 

“½ inch socket.” Ahsoka held out her hand, head still underneath the car’s hood. 

“Socket.” 

Ahsoka took the proffered tool and got to work. Rex peered around the hood to see what she was doing. It was a little far beyond his training, but it was still interesting to watch. After a few minutes, Ahsoka straightened up and wiped the sweat off her forehead. 

“Well, nurse.” Ahsoka’s voice was level and serious. “It was touch and go there for a while, but I think the patient is going to make it.”

Rex, fighting back a smile, did his best to match her tone. “What should I tell the patient’s family?”

“Tell them...” Ahsoka paused for dramatic effect. “He’s alive and wheel.”

Ahsoka and Rex stared at each other for a long moment before they both burst out laughing. “That was fucking terrible,” Rex wheezed, holding onto the car for support. 

Ahsoka hit him with her oil rag. “Like you could do any better. I’ll have you know, Anakin loves my puns. You just don’t appreciate me enough.”

“Oh, I appreciate you.” Rex grabbed the rag from her hands and tossed it aside. 

Ahsoka smirked and put her hand on her hip. “Really? Well, you should show it more often.”

“Not at work,” Rex replied, which made her chuckle. 

“You did promise to take me out this week.”

“I’m going to. Thursday night. We’re both free.” Rex started to clean up the tools on their station. 

“Oh, this is news to me. Where are you taking me?” Ahsoka shut the hood of the car she’d been working on. 

“That movie you wanted to see is out. The rom-com.”

“Oh, the movie _I_ w anted to see? I’m pretty sure you want to see the rom-com and you’re using me as an excuse.” Ahsoka came up behind Rex and wrapped her arms around him. 

Rex smiled and turned around in her arms. “Then I guess we’ll both enjoy it.”

“Mm, I can deal with it since I like you so much.” Ahsoka gave him a squeeze and pulled back.

“It’ll be fun. I’ll buy you snacks.” Rex paused when his cell phone rang. “Hold on.”

“Uh-oh. It’s probably Anakin calling to yell at us for screwing around after he watched the security cameras,” Ahsoka joked. 

Rex checked the caller ID. “No, it’s my brother.” He answered the phone. “Kix, aren’t you at school?”

“Hey, Rex,” Kix said. “Um. Not exactly.”

“Okay.” Rex narrowed his eyes. “You wanna tell me why you’re “not exactly” at school at 1pm on a weekday?”

“You need to come down to the convenience store on Greenbrier. I… got into some trouble.”

Rex closed his eyes. “You’ve gotta be kidding me, Kix. Skipping school? What kind of trouble are you in?”

There was a long silence over the phone. “Shoplifting,” Kix muttered after a moment. 

Rex pulled the phone away from his ear so Kix wouldn’t hear him cursing. “Does this have anything to do with those kids I told you not to hang out with anymore?”

“I’m sorry, Rex. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. I didn’t take that much, just a soda and some candy,” Kix protested. “The manager of the shop is kinda pissed, but he says he’s not gonna call the cops if you come down and get me. And… pay for the stuff I stole.”

“Alright, alright. Tell him I’m coming. Nobody needs to call the cops. I’ll pay for it,” Rex said. “This is gonna be more than just a month of grounding, Kix. This is really serious.”

“I know. You can yell at me later. Just come get me, please?” Kix sounded tired and scared, and Rex couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for his brother. He sincerely doubted this was Kix’s plan. It had to have been those idiot kids from school. 

“I can get there in about thirty minutes. Just stay put and don’t cause anymore trouble.” Rex hung up the phone. Worried, Ahsoka reached out to touch his arm. 

“What happened? Is everything okay?”

“Kix got into trouble for shoplifting. I have to go get him.” Rex sighed. “I gotta call Anakin.”

Rex was infinitely grateful that he had such a kind and understanding boss. Anakin insisted on personally coming down to the shop to help Ahsoka with operations until the end of the day so Rex could leave and take care of Kix. After profusely thanking Anakin for his flexibility, Rex left the shop and headed towards the convenience store. 

It was a short walk from the repair shop to the store. Rex didn’t see Kix when he walked in, but the store manager was waiting for him. He followed the manager to the back office where Kix and another boy were waiting. 

“Which one is yours?” the manager asked tiredly. He had the look of a man who'd had to deal with this type of shit many times before. 

“This one.” Rex walked over to where Kix was sitting and stood over him, crossing his arms in front of his chest. “What happened?”

Kix stared down at the floor and scuffed the sole of his shoe against the tile. “We decided to skip school and come down here to hang out. I know it was wrong, but… we stole some drinks and stuff. They caught us on camera.”

“Who’s we? What’s your name?” Rex looked at the other boy.

The kid, who looked to be around Kix’s age, sneered at Rex. “I’m not talking to you.”

“You’re making this worse, Boba,” Kix said to the kid. “Just apologize so we can get out of here.”

“I’m not apologizing for shit. I’m gonna wait for my dad,” the kid, Boba, said. 

Kix stood up and looked at the store manager. “Well, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again. If you let us go, we’ll never come back in here again.” Boba scoffed and rolled his eyes. 

The store manager shook his head. “Nobody’s leaving yet. The only reason I didn’t call the police is because you stole less than twenty dollars worth of stuff. You should be grateful that I’m being this nice.”

“Look. Here.” Rex pulled out his wallet and handed a twenty dollar bill to the manager. “I don’t know who this kid is, but my brother already apologized to you. I’ll make sure he never bothers you again. Trust me, he’s learned his lesson.”

The manager took the money and put it on his desk. “That may be true, but we’re still waiting on the other kid’s dad. Once he gets here, we’ll talk and then the boys can go. I’m not trying to ruin their lives over this, but they need to know that what they did is wrong.”

Rex motioned for Kix to sit back down. “Alright, we’ll wait for his dad. I’m sorry about this. My brother knows better.” He shot a look at Kix, who sank down into his seat.

“Yeah, I’ve heard that before.”

They were interrupted by a knock on the office door. The manager answered it, and a young man a little older than Rex stepped inside. “Hey, I’m here for Boba?” He sighed when he spotted the kid and walked over to him. “What did you do?”

Boba clenched his jaw. “Where’s Dad?”

“He’s at work; where do you think he is? He doesn’t have time to deal with you every time you pull something like this.” The young man turned to the store manager and shook his hand. “Hey, I’m sorry about what happened. Thank you for not calling the police. Boba will apologize and pay for whatever damage he caused.”

“No damage,” the store manager said. “They stole a few drinks and some candy, but the other kid’s brother already paid.”

The young man turned to face him, and Rex’s heart stopped in his chest when he got a good look at the person before him. He was instantly familiar, like a face in a crowd Rex vaguely recognized, but this wasn’t just any face. Tan skin. Dark, close-cropped hair. Hazel eyes. It was a face Rex knew from a long time ago, but that wasn’t possible. Rex hadn’t seen that face in over ten years. 

From the young man’s startled expression, Rex wasn’t the only one who had sensed it. Stepping forward, he held out his hand to shake. “I’m Cody,” he said, staring Rex straight in the eyes. “I think we need to talk.”


	12. Chapter 12

Perhaps it was because he sensed the yawning chasm of tension between the two men before him, or perhaps it was because he simply wanted the two delinquents out of his store as soon as possible, but the store manager found it prudent to hurry along their interaction after Cody arrived. 

Rex had already paid more than what the stolen items were worth, so after a short lecture from the manager about why they were now banned from the store, Kix and Boba were free to go. Cody, who couldn’t seem to stop glancing in Rex’s direction every few minutes, steered his brother out of the store and told him to go wait by his car. Rex motioned for Kix to do the same.

“Go with Boba. Wait for me.”

Kix’s head swiveled to look between the three of them: Cody, Rex, and Boba. It would’ve been a comical sight if it weren’t for the gravity of the situation. Four boys, all alike in skin tone, eye color, and vague facial structure. Rex was the odd one out with his starkly bleached hair, but it did little to hide the rest of the similarities. It was like looking in a funhouse mirror and seeing yourself slightly distorted, only this wasn’t a carnival and no one was laughing. 

“Rex, what’s going on?” Kix asked nervously. “I don’t understand.”

“We’ll talk later. Just go with Boba. Now.” 

Kix shoved his hands into his pockets and reluctantly followed Boba to wait out of earshot. 

Unlike Cody, Rex couldn’t bring himself to look at the other man’s face. It was too painful, brought up too many questions he didn’t want to know the answer to. And yet, part of him was begging to know. He needed an explanation for this ridiculous, impossible scenario he found himself in. 

Both men stood awkwardly outside the convenience store for a minute, trying to come up with a way to cut the obvious tension. Ultimately, Cody took the first step onto the tenuous bridge between them. 

“I’m sorry about what Boba did. This isn’t the first time he’s gotten into trouble like this, and I can tell your brother didn’t mean to get mixed up in it.”

Rex finally dragged his eyes up to look Cody in the face. “He still made the choice. I’m just glad the police didn’t get involved. It would’ve been a lot worse.”

“Yeah, I agree. Boba’s gotten lucky. He’s not a bad kid, he’s just angry, I think. He’s gotten into trouble like this before, but he always gets a slap on the wrist. I try to steer him in the right direction. It isn’t easy.” Cody’s smile was bitter. “If our father would act like he cared, if he would actually pay attention to Boba…” He trailed off and looked at the ground. 

“Jango Fett.” It wasn’t a question. It was a certainty. 

“Yes.” Cody exhaled. “I’ve been told I look like him. I’m honestly embarrassed that I never put the pieces together before. But when I saw you, I knew. I suspected a lot. I could never be certain.”

Memories floated through Rex’s mind; ashes in a trash can, the remnants of the note that Jango had left his mother so many years ago. Had she known? Would she have ever told them? Or was she in the dark like they were? Those were questions Rex might never know the answer to. He had gone digging for a fragment and had unearthed the entire skeleton. 

“We shouldn’t do this right now.” Rex glanced over at Boba and Kix, who were standing around in awkward silence. 

“Would you be willing to meet me?” Cody pulled out his phone and offered it to Rex. “I don’t know you. But I think it would benefit both of us to try to figure out what the hell this is.”

Rex took Cody’s phone and put his number in. He paused before handing it back, a sudden realization dawning on him.“Have you always lived here?”

Cody frowned. “Well, yes. We live about thirty minutes away. Why?”

Rex shoved the phone back in Cody’s direction. “It doesn’t matter. I need to take my brother home.” He turned away from Cody and waved Kix over. “Come on, we’re leaving.”

Cody took a step in Rex’s direction, a thousand questions on the tip of his tongue, but it wasn’t the time. Not when Boba and Kix were waiting on them. Rex walked swiftly around the corner of the building with Kix at his heels, jogging to keep up. 

“Rex, wait! The bus stop is in the other direction!” Kix protested. 

“We’re not taking the bus.” Rex had already called an Uber. He wouldn’t normally waste money when they could take the bus for free, but he wasn’t in the mood to wait. 

“Would you at least tell me what’s going on?” Kix grabbed Rex’s arm to stop him. “It’s about Dad, isn’t it?”

Rex finally turned to face Kix. “How did you meet Boba?”

“I told you, he’s my friend from school,” Kix said. “He’s in the grade below mine. All of the older kids that get into trouble are his friends, not mine.”

“What’s his last name?” 

Kix stared at Rex in confusion. “I don’t know. We never talked about it.” 

Rex could feel bile forming at the back of his throat. The idea that Kix and Boba had known each other for this long, but they hadn’t  _ known, _ made him sick to his stomach. “The Uber’s here. We’ll talk at home.”

A million thoughts, questions, and emotions ran through Rex’s mind on the ride home. Jango had been out of his life for so long that he had almost been able to convince himself he was dead. Somehow, it was easier that way. Even if Jango wasn’t physically dead, he had died metaphorically a long time ago when Rex had renounced him as a father. He was no more a part of their family than a stranger on the street. 

Rex had always assumed he’d fucked off to the other side of the country and didn’t want anything to do with their family, but that mirage had crumbled as soon as Rex saw Cody. Jango had been living in the next town over for ten years. He hadn’t called once. There were no letters sent, no cards, not a single visit. When their mother died, Jango had the luxury of pretending the six boys he had abandoned didn’t even exist. It wasn’t because he didn’t want a family. He had a family. He just didn’t want them. 

Rex barely remembered to mumble “thanks” to the Uber driver as he climbed out of the car at their destination. Kix was right behind him, though he had the good sense to stay quiet until they got inside. 

“Rex.” Kix looked uncertain, but he pressed on anyway. “They’re our brothers, aren’t they?” 

Rex threw his keys onto the coffee table and sat on the couch, his head in his hands. Explaining the whole mess was an impossible task, but Kix deserved to know. Maybe he would finally understand why Rex’s hatred for Jango burned so hot and so deep. “Yes.” 

Kix slowly sat down next to Rex. “We always made jokes about it. How me and Boba looked alike,” he said softly. “But they were just jokes.” 

“I wish it was a joke.” Rex closed his eyes. “I wish to God it was a coincidence. But I looked at Cody, and…” His voice faltered. “He looked like him, exactly like him. Like somebody reached inside my head and pulled him out my memory. I knew. It wasn’t a coincidence.” 

“What’s gonna happen to us now?” Kix asked. “Are we going to meet Dad?” 

Rex jerked his head up and looked at Kix. “Do you want to?” 

“I don’t know.” Kix tugged on his sleeve anxiously. “It wasn’t real to me before. I’ve never had a dad.” 

“Nothing is going to happen until I talk to Cody,” Rex said. “I need to figure out what the hell is going on and what we’re gonna do about it. You don’t have to worry, okay? No matter what happens, I’m staying right here with you and Jesse and Hardcase. Nobody can take that away from us.” 

“Promise?” Kix’s voice was so small. Rex often forgot how young he was and how much he had experienced in the short time he’d been alive. All he had was his brothers. Rex had to show him that he would never give up on his family, not like Jango. 

“Yeah. I promise.” 

Kix wasn’t completely reassured, but he relaxed just a little. “What about the shoplifting?” 

“I don’t know. I still don’t want you hanging around those other kids,” Rex said. “You’re not off the hook. But I’m not punishing you right now.” 

“I’m really sorry. It was Boba’s idea,” Kix admitted. “He convinced me to skip and he was the one who wanted to steal the stuff. It was so stupid. He had money to pay for it.” 

“I’m not worried about that right now.” Rex reached out and put his arm around Kix. “C’mere.” 

Kix turned his head and buried his face in Rex’s chest. “I won’t do it again.” 

“Yeah, I know you won’t.” Rex sighed and patted his back. “Jesse and ‘Case are gonna be home soon. We’re gonna sit down and talk, and I’m gonna figure out when I can go meet Cody. You deserve an explanation. We all do.” 

“You were right.” Kix pulled back to look at Rex. “About Dad. About how he doesn’t care about us. I wish I never tried to search him up, I wish I never even asked about him—”

“Don’t beat yourself up. I didn’t know about all of this. I don’t want you growing up angry and bitter like I did,” Rex said. “I just want you to understand.” 

“Yeah, I understand. I understand that he abandoned us and Mom for some other family.” Kix clenched his jaw. “Why would he do that? Why weren’t we good enough?” 

Rex’s shoulders slumped and he leaned his elbows on his knees. “I’ve been wondering that for a long time.” 

Both of them turned their heads when they heard a key unlocking the front door. Hardcase stepped inside, followed by Jesse, who stopped in surprise. 

“Well, you’re in trouble,” Jesse said to Kix. 

“Don’t worry about that right now.” Rex scooted over to make room for his brothers. “Sit down. There’s something I need to tell you.” 

*** 

They decided to meet at a café not far from where Rex lived. 

It was still early, but the café was already packed when Rex arrived. He ordered a hot chocolate instead of coffee like he normally would since he was jittery enough without the caffeine. While he waited for Cody at a secluded table in the corner of the café, Rex sipped at his drink more out of habit than anything else. He needed something to do with his hands so he wouldn’t go crazy just sitting there. 

Cody slid into the chair across from Rex when he arrived. Outwardly, he seemed calm and collected, as if it was a normal occurrence to be meeting his half-brother whose existence he hadn’t known about until a few days prior. Rex envied his emotional stability. Even though he wasn’t showing it, he was a wreck of confusion and anger and pain inside. 

“Thank you for coming,” Cody started. “I can’t imagine this is easy for you.” 

Rex set down his drink and leveled his gaze at Cody across from him. “I’m here because I want to know the truth. I think I deserve that much. So do my brothers.” 

Cody’s eyebrows knitted together. “Brothers? How many do you have?” 

“There’s six of us total,” Rex replied. “I’m the oldest. Kix is the youngest.” 

Cody rubbed at his face. “I had no idea. I hope you believe me when I say that. There are so many questions I have about him, about our father, but no one would ever give me an answer. There’s so much I don’t know.” 

“Start with what you do know,” Rex said, crossing his arms over his chest. He still wasn’t sure he could trust Cody, but this was the only opportunity he had to discover the truth. He had to hear him out.

“It’s probably not much more than you. But I can try.” Cody took a deep breath. “I don’t know much about how he met my mother. I know she was working as a waitress and he was a customer of hers. They dated on and off for most of my life. Never married. She got pregnant with me a few months after they met. She was pretty young, only seventeen when I was born, so I guess Jango felt responsible and took care of her for a little while. But he only stayed for about a year after I was born, and then he left.”

“How old are you?” Cody told him his date of birth, and Rex nodded slowly. “You’re a little over a year older than me. So he must’ve left when my mother got pregnant.” 

“I knew that Jango most likely had another girlfriend, or maybe a wife, but a whole other family… that, I had no idea,” Cody said. “I grew up without him for the most part. He came back occasionally, usually for just a few days, and then he’d be gone again. Sometimes he gave me presents, and I know he sent us money. My mother told me that he was my father, but I never really saw him that way.” Cody looked down at the table, gathering his thoughts before continuing. “I was ten when he came back for good. My mother was the happiest I’d ever seen her. I don’t think she ever stopped loving him even though he left us. Suddenly he was living with us all the time, and I hated it at first. I didn’t see him as my father. I’m not sure why he came back to us, honestly. Maybe he does love my mother, but with him, it’s hard to tell what’s the truth and what’s an act. She had Boba not too long after he returned. Ever since then, it’s been the four of us.”

Rex listened quietly to Cody’s story, piecing together the narrative as he went along. “So he had two families the whole time. And he thought he could just keep stringing all of us along until… until what?” He inhaled sharply. “Until Boba. Until your mother got pregnant again, and it was easier for him to leave my mother.” 

“That could be true,” Cody agreed. “I don’t know. I haven’t said anything to him yet, and I asked Boba not to say anything. I’m not sure how long Boba will keep quiet about this. He idolizes our father. All the attitude, all the acting out; that’s just to get Jango’s attention. He’s a kid. He doesn’t understand. Jango has always been in his life, so he doesn’t get why I never saw him as a real father.”

“You know what pisses me off the most?” Rex clutched his hot chocolate, now cold after sitting between them for so long. “Jango thought he could just get away with playing all of us. He thought he could just fuck off and pretend like he didn’t father six kids, like he didn’t leave behind a single mother to take care of all of us. And he didn’t give a single fuck when she died, if he even knows she’s dead. Never once has he tried to contact us and he lives thirty minutes away. That tells me all I need to know about him.” Rex did his best to keep his voice from shaking, but it betrayed him in the end. 

Cody nodded, his expression sympathetic. “I’m sorry all this happened to you, Rex. It’s not fair. What he did is despicable. I’m not sure there’s a way to fix it, but maybe if you talked to him--”

Rex laughed coldly and cut Cody off. “Absolutely fucking not. I don’t want to see him. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want anything from him, not even an apology. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction of thinking he’s somehow “fixed” things. He can never repair the damage he’s caused.”

Cody held up a hand in surrender. “Okay, that’s your choice. Like I said, I’m not going to tell him about what happened. But I can’t guarantee Boba won’t. And I can’t guarantee Jango won’t find out some other way.”

“He can’t find out,” Rex insisted. “I want to stay as far away from him as possible.” He lowered his voice and leaned further across the table. Cody didn’t understand. He thought this was just about hating Jango, but there was so much more at stake. “I could lose everything. Three of my brothers are still minors. The only reason I got guardianship when I turned eighteen is because our parents are dead. Surprise, surprise. Jango Fett is not dead. But I won’t let him take my family from me. I don’t want him to think even for a second that he might have some kind of claim to my brothers.” 

“I’ll do what I can,” Cody said. “But I know Jango better than you do. I don’t think he would want to go after guardianship of your brothers.”

“I can’t risk it. No court is going to allow my brothers to stay with me if their biological father is back in the picture and wants custody.” Rex gripped onto his legs under the table to stop his hands from shaking. “I fought for years to get to where I’m at. He already destroyed our lives once. I won’t let him do it again.”

“Look, I’m on your side,” Cody said. “I promise. I haven’t forgotten what he did to me either. He abandoned my eighteen year old mother with a baby and fucked off to start a new family. Then, when that didn’t work out, he thought he could just come back and pretend like nothing happened. The only reason I’ve stuck around for as long as I have is because of Boba. He can be difficult, but he’s my little brother and I won’t let him get swept up in Jango’s lies.” Cody stopped himself when heated emotion started to slip into his voice. 

“So we agree on that.” Rex let out a long breath. “We want to take care of our brothers.”

“That’s all I’ve ever wanted. I love my mother, but she’s always given excuses and half-assed apologies for Jango.” Cody stared down at the table quietly. “It’s hard for me to look past.”

Rex could only imagine that a similar mixture of grief, anger, and loathing was running through Cody’s veins as they laid out the whole sordid tale. Part of Rex felt vindicated for all the years he’d let his hatred for Jango fester. Part of him wished Jango really was dead so everything wouldn’t be quite so complicated. The smallest, most vengeful piece of him wished that Jango was in front of him in that very moment so he could beat his father’s face in. No matter what he desired, this was Rex’s reality. There was no escaping it. But that didn’t mean Rex had to accept all of Jango’s shit back into his life. 

“I hope you figure things out with your brother.” Rex pulled out his wallet and put enough cash down on the table to pay for his drink and a tip. “I don’t want any part of this. Jango’s out of my life, out of my brother’s lives. I refuse to let him back in. He doesn’t deserve that.”

“If you change your mind, you can always contact me.” Cody stood up with Rex. “If you need help with anything, or if you want to talk, you have my number.”

“I don’t need help.” Rex stepped back from the hand Cody extended to him. “Goodbye, Cody.” He brushed past him and walked out the door. 

Rex was never one to run from his problems. But this one thing, this gaping hole in his life left by Jango Fett, wasn’t worth trying to salvage. Even though Rex would never admit it, it was a hell of a lot easier to ignore the sinking feeling in the back of his mind that told him this wasn’t over than it was to accept the hand reaching out to him from more than a decade ago. 


	13. Chapter 13

Rex usually appreciated that Ahsoka could read him like an open book. Now, it was more of a curse than a blessing. 

Rex knew he was being unfair to her. He’d already blown her off for their date on Thursday after making a vague excuse for why he couldn’t go. It hurt him to see her disappointed, but he didn’t know how to explain what was going on with Jango and he didn’t feel at all prepared to talk to her about it. At work, Rex kept his head down and tried to stay as occupied as possible. It was easier to pretend he was simply too busy to talk than it was to explain his sudden mood shift. Ahsoka had definitely picked up on Rex’s attitude, but he’d brushed off her concerned calls and texts. He didn’t want to think about Jango. In fact, Rex would prefer to forget Jango even existed. 

Now that Rex and Anakin had finished working on their special project, Rex had Mondays off again. After the bombshell that had been dropped on him that week, Rex was grateful to have the day to himself. His brothers were at school all day. That meant Rex could sleep in and laze around the apartment as much as he wanted. 

He had been gifted a bottle of Ciroc from Saw that he’d hidden behind some pans in the kitchen, so Rex broke out the bottle and some orange juice to cut the harsh flavor. It still didn’t taste great, but it was enough to get him buzzed. That was all he wanted. Rex wanted his mind to go blank, just for a little while, just so he could get Jango out of his head. 

The vodka and shitty TV shows were doing a pretty good job of keeping Rex’s mind off his problems until his trance was broken by a knock at the door. Rex ignored it and turned the TV up a little louder. Whoever it was could fuck off. He wasn’t in the mood to talk to anyone, least of all solicitors or Jehovah’s Witnesses or whoever it was. 

The knocking grew more insistent the longer Rex tried to pretend he was oblivious to it. Finally, an annoyed voice called through the door. “Rex, I know you’re in there. Open up. You can’t ignore me forever.” 

Rex groaned when he realized who it was. Reluctantly, he pushed himself up from the couch and staggered over to the door. He was a bit woozy from the vodka, and it didn’t help that he hadn’t been eating much the last few days. When Rex opened the door, he was greeted with the sight of one very pissed off Ahsoka Tano. 

“Oh, it’s so nice of you to finally answer.” Ahsoka arched an eyebrow and stepped forward, pushing past Rex into the apartment before he could protest. “We need to talk.”

“Please, come in,” Rex muttered, closing the door behind her. “I don’t know what we have to talk about.”

Ahsoka shot him a nasty look. “Don’t you play that game with me, Fett.” She scoffed when she spotted the vodka sitting on the coffee table in front of the TV. “So what, now you’re turning into Saw?” 

Rex snatched up the bottle and put the cap back on before she could think to pour out the rest. “It’s my day off. I can spend it how I want to.”

“Uh-huh. Because sitting in front of the TV getting drunk is so much better than actually talking to me and explaining why the hell you’ve been so distant this week.” Ahsoka let the hurt she was feeling slip into her voice, and Rex instantly felt his stomach knot up with guilt. 

“I’m sorry. I know I’ve been a jerk,” Rex said quietly.

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay. That’s a start. Will you tell me what’s going on?”

“Sit… sit down.” Rex gestured to the couch and turned off the TV. “It’s a long story.”

Ahsoka sat with him on the couch. “I have time to listen. I switched shifts with Saw today so I could come see you.” She put a gentle hand on Rex’s arm. “I care about you too much to watch you spiral like this. I know you’re hurting. Whatever it is, I’ll do my best to help.”

Rex stared down at his lap. “It’s about my father,” he said after a long moment.

“Did something happen?” Ahsoka knew Jango had been out of his life for a long time, so she was surprised to hear it was about him. 

“Yeah.” Rex leaned back against the couch. “He’s here. Not… right here, but nearby. In the next town over. He’s lived there for over eleven years with another family. If that isn’t a slap in the fucking face, I don’t know what is.”

Ahsoka frowned. “Hold on… your father, Jango Fett, has been living here all this time and you didn’t know?” Her face softened and she took Rex’s hand. “Oh, Rex… I’m so sorry. How did you find out?”

Rex laughed bitterly. “I met my half-brothers.”

“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling,” Ahsoka said. She gently stroked Rex’s hand with her thumb to soothe him. 

“Pissed off, mostly. My father abandoned my family. He doesn’t deserve a place in my life.” Rex exhaled shakily. “But I’m afraid I might not have a choice. If he finds out we’re living here, I don’t know what he’ll do. What if he tries to take me to court for custody of my brothers? What am I supposed to do then? I’ve been dealt some really shitty cards my whole life, but this? This just takes the cake.” 

“Those are a lot of what ifs. It’s completely understandable that you’re scared,” Ahsoka said. “But you don’t know that those things will happen.”

“Maybe not, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he’s been living thirty minutes away for the past eleven years and hasn’t called once, hasn’t tried to visit, hasn’t sent a single fucking card or letter,” Rex said, his voice elevated now that he was getting emotional. The vodka swimming around in his brain made it hard to contain what he was feeling. “He’s made it very clear that he doesn’t care about any of us. He didn’t even reach out when our mother died. He wasn’t there for us. For me.” Rex leaned forward and blinked away hot tears. “I was alone. I had to take care of my brothers alone after our mother died. I had to deal with worrying about being separated from my brothers alone, I had to deal with being bounced around to countless foster parents and group homes alone, I had to handle the abuse.. alone.” He stopped to take a breath. He’d never told Ahsoka about that part. 

To her credit, Ahsoka didn’t react and simply squeezed Rex’s hand to bring him back to her. “What happened to you is terrible. I’m so sorry you’ve had to go through all of that. If you don’t want your father back in your life, that’s your right.” 

“I don’t know what to do. I met with one of my half-brothers. Cody. He’s older than me, actually. I’m not used to being the younger one.” Rex cleared his throat and tried to steady his voice. “He seemed to want to get to know me. But I don’t know if I should. If I open myself up to this, it could end in disaster. And I have to think about my brothers and what they need.”

Ahsoka considered that. “Have you asked them what they want?”

Rex shook his head. “Not really. At one point, Jesse and Kix wanted to know more about our father. But that was before this.”

“Maybe that’s the first step,” Ahsoka said. “Ask your brothers what they want. And maybe you could talk to Cody again. I know it’s hard for you to open yourself up to this, but it might help you figure some things out.”

“He told me a lot of things I didn’t know about my father. It helped,” Rex admitted. “Finding out he was lying to us the entire time hurt me, but not more than it hurt all those years when I was left wondering why he abandoned us. Now I know.”

“I’ll support you no matter what you decide. Just don’t push me away again,” Ahsoka said. “Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Good.” Ahsoka kissed Rex’s cheek. “You don’t have to bottle up all of your feelings. And drinking isn’t going to get rid of them, by the way.”

Rex sighed. “Yeah, I know. I thought it would help.”

“Did it?”

“... No.”

“Yeah, all it really does is give you a headache afterwards.” Ahsoka smiled a little. “How about I stick around for a little bit?”

“If you want to. I’m really not doing anything,” Rex said. 

“Then we’ll not do anything together.” Ahsoka settled back on the couch and put her feet up on the coffee table. “Lay down.” Rex gave her a strange look, but he complied. Ahsoka jostled him around until he was laying with his head in her lap. “Good. Just relax.” 

Rex turned his head so he could watch the TV with her. Ahsoka’s lap made a good pillow, and she stroked his hair while they laid together. The feeling of her nails scratching against his scalp was oddly relaxing. Rex found himself dozing after only a few minutes. It was growing late in the afternoon, and the alcohol was making him sleepy. Surely it would be alright if he closed his eyes for a few minutes. Ahsoka was warm and soothing, and when Rex’s eyes fluttered shut, he didn’t care to fight the lull of sleep taking over his body. 

***

“Is he asleep?”

“Aw, Rexy, that's adorable.”

“I’m gonna take a picture.” 

Rex’s eyes snapped open. He tossed an irritated look in the direction of his three brothers, who were crowded around the couch where he and Ahsoka were laying. “No fucking pictures,” he mumbled, his tongue still heavy with sleep as he tried to get his brain to work. Ahsoka chuckled quietly and played with his buzzed hair. 

“There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, Rexy,” she teased. 

Rex groaned and lifted his head up from her thigh. “You’re all grounded. Go to your room.”

Hardcase just laughed and picked up the bottle of Ciroc that was still sitting on the coffee table. “What is this? Vodka?” He unscrewed the cap and took a sniff. “Can I try it?”

Rex squinted at Hardcase and sat up. “You won’t like it.” 

“It smells like oranges.” Hardcase tilted the bottle and watched Rex to see if he was going to stop him. When Rex didn’t, Hardcase shrugged and took a big swig. He immediately gagged and sprayed a mouthful of vodka all over the floor. “Who drinks this shit?”

Rex watched in amusement and got up to take the bottle from his brother. “I said you wouldn’t like it.” He looked at Ahsoka. “Sorry about this. My brothers were just going to their room.” He glared at all of them. 

“That’s okay. I can leave you guys alone to have some family time.” Ahsoka stood and gave Rex a hug. “Will you call me later?” 

“Yeah, I will. We work together tomorrow too.” Rex snuck a glance at his brothers, who were pretending not to watch them. He leaned in to give Ahsoka a kiss anyway and ignored his brothers’ jeers. 

Ahsoka smiled into the kiss and pulled back after a few seconds. “I’ll see you later. Bye, guys.” She cheekily waved at Rex’s brothers before heading out. 

“Rex, your girlfriend is hot,” Jesse declared as he threw himself down onto the couch. 

“You’re just jealous because you don’t have a girlfriend,” Kix said, jumping on the couch on top of his brother. Jesse made a pained  _ oof  _ sound and tried to push Kix off. 

“I could get a girlfriend if I wanted to.”

“No, you couldn’t. You’re disgusting.”

Hardcase smirked as he watched the two of them wrestle and argue. “Kix is right. I’m gay and I still get more girls than you, Jess.”

“Shut up!”

“Alright, alright. All of you sit down. Family meeting.” Rex waited until his brothers were settled down on the couch. He sat on the coffee table so he could face them while they talked. “We need to talk about Dad.”

That sobered the brothers up quickly. “What about him?” Jesse asked.

“I realized that this whole time, I’ve been telling you how I feel about Dad and why I don’t want to see him. But I never asked you all how you feel about this,” Rex said. It pained him to think that his brothers might actually want to get to know their father after what he did, but Ahsoka was right; it was their choice. Rex couldn’t force his feelings onto them no matter how much he despised Jango. “If you want to meet Dad, I… could try to make that happen.”

Kix and Jesse exchanged startled looks. Even Hardcase was surprised at Rex’s words. “I thought you didn’t want to see him,” Hardcase said. 

“I don’t.” Rex gritted his teeth. “But if you did, it’s not fair of me to say you can’t.”

“I don’t want to see him,” Kix said with a huff. “He’s not really our dad. He abandoned us, just like Rex said. He has a whole other family that he loves more than us.”

“I don’t care about him,” Hardcase agreed. “If he wanted to see us, he would’ve reached out before now.”

Rex looked at Jesse, who had stayed quiet up until then. “Jess?”

Jesse picked at a seam on the couch. “I don’t know,” he said after a minute. “I agree with you guys. It makes me mad that he left us. But I never got to meet him. I’m not stupid. I know he doesn’t care about us. But at least I could meet him one time so I could know who he is.”

Rex nodded slowly. “Alright. That’s fair.” He didn’t quite understand Jesse’s need to meet Jango, but he knew it wasn’t right to deny him that. “I’ll see what Cody says.” 

Jesse looked up at Rex. “I only want to meet him once. After that, he can go screw himself.”

“I wish I could change things,” Rex said. “I really wish things were different. I just don’t want you meeting him and being disappointed.”

“I won’t be disappointed.” Jesse balled his hands into fists. “He needs to look me in the eye and tell me why he abandoned our family. He doesn’t get off this easy. If he wants to pretend we don’t exist, fine. But I’m gonna make him see what he left behind.”

“Jesse, look at me.” Rex waited until Jesse grudgingly looked him in the eyes. “I get being angry. I’ve been angry at him for a long time. I don’t think I can ever forgive him, but I know I need to try to get rid of some of my anger. I don’t want this bitterness holding you back.”

“It won’t,” Jesse promised. “I just want to see him once. And maybe kick him in the nuts.”

“Jesse…”

“Alright, I won’t kick him in the nuts. But I want to.”

Rex stood up from the coffee table. “Look, if you have any questions about this or you want to talk to me, you can.” He waved his hand. “Okay, you can go to your room now.” Kix and Jesse dashed to their room, already arguing about who got to play games on Rex’s laptop first. 

Hardcase lingered behind and waited until the boys had closed the door to their room. “Rex?”

Rex grabbed the bottle of Ciroc so he could put it in his room and out of the boys’ reach. “Yeah?”

“Can we talk about some stuff?” Hardcase fidgeted and played with the strap on his backpack. 

Rex was shocked that Hardcase was willingly coming to him about something that seemed serious. “Of course we can.” He did a silent victory dance in his head. Hardcase trusted him. That was a big step. 

Hardcase followed Rex into his room and shut the door. Rex hid the vodka under his bed and sat down, motioning for Hardcase to do the same. “What’s wrong?” 

“You said I could talk to you about anything, right?” Hardcase asked. 

Rex frowned. “Yeah. Did something happen?”

“Yeah… But....” Hardcase started to get up. “This was a bad idea, I knew I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Hey, hold on.” Rex took his arm and gently pulled him to sit down again. “You’re scaring me. What is it?”

“I’ll just show you.” Hardcase took off his backpack and gripped the bottom of his shirt, taking it off in one smooth motion. Rex stared at his brother for a long moment before he looked back up into his face. 

“A tattoo?”

Hardcase looked embarrassed. “Don’t lecture me, okay?”

“How did you even get it? You’re too young.” Rex got up to examine the tattoo on Hardcase’s chest. “What is it supposed to be?”

“It’s just a geometric design that I thought looked cool,” Hardcase said. “My… friend took me. He’s over 18. He forged the guardian signature.”

Rex inspected the ink. It was a series of concentric hexagons inside each other placed in the middle of Hardcase’s chest. It was clearly professionally done, so at least he’d gone to a reputable place. The problem was that the skin around the tattoo was red and inflamed, and the entire area looked swollen. “How long have you had it?”

“A week.”

“And it’s still this red?” Rex gently touched the area, and Hardcase hissed. “Yeah, that’s getting infected.”

“That’s what I thought,” Hardcase said glumly. “I should’ve told you.”

“Yeah, you should’ve.” Rex straightened up. “Because I would’ve signed the consent form for you anyway. But I would’ve liked to have been there, and I could’ve helped you clean it.”

Hardcase blinked in surprise. “Wait, really? You don’t care that I got a tattoo?”

“No. But I do care that you didn’t tell me,” Rex said. “I guess you learned your lesson. That looks like it hurts.”

“It does,” Hardcase said. “I got scared that it was really serious.”

“It doesn’t look that bad, but you still need to clean it up. Didn’t they give you ointment or something to put on there?” Rex asked. 

“I was supposed to buy some, but I didn’t,” Hardcase confessed. 

“I’ll buy it for you. Make sure you gently wash the area with soap and water a few times a day in addition to putting on the ointment. I know they told you this when you went to get it,” Rex chided him. 

“Yeah, yeah.” Hardcase paused. “Wait, how do you know that?”

Rex chuckled softly and lifted up his shirt. He pulled down the waistband of his pants so Hardcase could see his hip. “I got it a while back.”

Hardcase’s eyebrows shot up and he bent down to look at Rex’s tattoo. “What’s the date mean?”

“That’s the date I signed the custody papers for you, Jesse, and Kix.” Rex let his shirt fall back into place. 

“Oh.” Hardcase smiled a little. “Cool.”

“Next time, ask me. I’ll probably say yes as long as it’s not a face tattoo or something dangerous,” Rex said. 

“Okay, I get it.” Hardcase pulled his shirt back on and grabbed his backpack. “There is one other thing.”

“Yes?”

“Can I get my ears pierced?” 

Rex threw up his hands. “Why not? I’m letting Kix get lightning bolts shaved into his head.”

“Sweet!” Hardcase grinned and clapped Rex on the back. “I’m gonna hold you to that.”

“I’m sure you will. Wash your damn tattoo. If you’re old enough to get it, you’re old enough to take care of it.”

Hardcase winked and saluted. “Aye aye, captain.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hardcase's tattoo is loosely based on his armor from the show. If you want to know what it looks like, look at his chest plate and imagine that there's several more concentric hexagonal shapes. The tattoo is centered on his chest between his pecs, so it's obviously a lot smaller than it was on the armor.


	14. Chapter 14

It took three days for Rex to stop feeling sick with anger at the idea of meeting his father face-to-face. Over the years, he had practiced what he would do if he actually got to see Jango again, ranging from punching him to screaming in his face to tearfully asking him why he had abandoned their family. Now, Rex had to push those feelings aside. As far as he was concerned, this meeting was for his brothers’ benefit. Rex had nothing to say to Jango that could possibly make him feel better about the situation. 

Rex had already prepared his brothers for the fact that Jango might not even want to see them. He still had to call Cody to arrange their meeting, but he was caught up with work and felt too mentally fatigued to take the final step. Thinking about talking to Jango and actually hearing his voice were two different things. Rex didn’t feel ready, but then again, he didn’t think he ever would. 

What held Rex together was Ahsoka. She did her best to give him space when he needed it, and she stayed true to her chatty self at work to get him out of his own head. Ahsoka was fully capable of carrying on a conversation by herself, and Rex was content just to listen to her ramblings. 

“So anyway, after Padme called and said her water broke, Anakin was freaking out. Seriously, he looked like he was going to throw up or pass out. I had to yell at him three times to get in his car and go because Padme would’ve killed him if he missed the birth of his twins. Luckily, Obi-Wan was already there, so she wasn’t alone. He barely made it, too, I mean those babies wanted  _ out. _ I think Padme was only in labor for about an hour.” Ahsoka took a breath and paused. “Hey, is that your phone ringing?”

“Hm?” Rex was busy nodding along to Ahsoka’s story while he filled out an order for an engine part. “Oh, yeah. Hold on.” He was distracted and picked up his phone without looking at the caller ID. “Hello?”

“Rex? Hey. Sorry to call you like this. Is Boba with you?”

Rex dropped his pen onto the desk and straightened up. “Cody? Why would Boba be with me?”

Cody sighed. “Something happened, I don’t have time to explain. Is he there?”

“No, I--” Rex stopped when he noticed Saw trying to get his attention. “Hold on.” 

Saw waved at Rex and pointed at the entrance to the garage. “Somebody’s here for you.”

Rex was dumbfounded to see Boba marching over to the desk where he was standing. “Yeah, Cody, I’m at work and he’s here. What’s going on?”

“I’ll tell you what’s going on.” Boba wrestled Rex’s cell phone away from him and put it up to his ear. “Don’t bother coming to get me. You obviously hate me and you hate our family. Fuck off.” He ended the call. 

Rex snatched the phone out of Boba’s hands and put it in his pocket. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“I’m trying to protect my family.” Boba yelped when Rex grabbed him by the arm and dragged him outside. “Let go of me, asshole!” 

“Why are you here?” Rex demanded, still gripping Boba’s arm tightly. He bent down so they were face-to-face. “How do you even know where I work?” 

“It wasn’t that hard to figure out.” Boba yanked his arm out of Rex’s grip. “I’m here to tell you that you need to stay away from my family.” 

Rex narrowed his eyes. “You mean Jango?” 

“Yes.  _ My _ father.” Boba huffed. “We might be related by blood, but that doesn’t mean you’re family. He has a family. Me, Cody, and our mom are his family. Not you.” 

“Kid, you’re in way over your head and you have no idea what you’re talking about. You should wait out here for your brother. I have work to do, I don’t have time for this.” Rex turned to go back into the garage. 

Boba made a noise of frustration and stepped in front of Rex to stop him. “I’m serious.” 

“So am I. I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s family. You’re too young to understand. Just wait out here for Cody.” Rex tried to sidestep Boba. 

Boba scoffed and turned his back on Rex. “Yeah, that’s what everybody keeps saying to me. I’m too young to understand.” His shoulders sagged a little as he looked out into the parking lot. Against his better judgement, Rex stopped. 

“Did Cody talk to you about what’s going on?” 

“He said enough,” Boba spat. “He’s trying to say all these bad things about Dad that just aren’t true. He’s always hated our father. He hates me, too.” Boba cleared his throat to cover his wavering voice. “I don’t care about you and your brothers. I just want things to go back to normal. All Dad’s been talking about the past few days is seeing  _ you _ again. Like he doesn’t already have a family to take care of. Like you’re more important or something.” 

Rex stared at Boba in shock. “He knows about us?” 

Boba whirled around. “I told him because I didn’t think he’d want anything to do with you! But now he wants to meet you. It’s stupid. You need to stay away from us. Everything was fine before you came along.”

“Boba, hold on,” Rex said, holding up his hands. “I never wanted this.” 

“But it’s happening anyway.” Boba rolled his eyes when he saw Cody’s car pulling into the lot. “Great.” 

Cody hopped out of his truck and walked over to them. “Boba, you can't just run away every time you hear something you don’t like.” 

“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” Boba muttered. “You act like you don’t even care about our family anymore. Go fuck yourself, Cody.”

“I’m trying to keep our family together. What’s left of it.” Cody rubbed at his temples. “Go wait in the truck.” 

Boba cursed and shoved past Cody. “You’re an asshole.” 

Cody watched him go. “I’m sorry about him. We had a fight this morning and he just left. I’ve been driving around all day looking for him. It was a long shot calling you, but I had a feeling he’d try to find you.” 

Rex watched Boba kick the tire of Cody’s truck before getting in. “So he told Jango about us.” 

“Yes.” Cody sounded tired and defeated. “He has this idea in his head that he can somehow “fix” our family, but the truth is, our family has been broken for a long time. Boba’s looking for someone to blame.” 

Rex slowly shook his head. “I’m tired of this. This whole damn charade has been hanging over my head my entire life.” He blew out a long breath. “I want to call him. I want to call Jango. We’re going to meet face-to-face, and then I want Jango Fett out of my life.”

Cody watched Rex quietly. “Are you sure?”

Rex had never been more sure in his entire life. “Yes. Call him.” Cody pulled out his cell phone. His finger hovered over Jango’s contact for a moment before he dialed the number. 

“Dad--” Cody started before he was cut off. “Yes, I found Boba. I’m bringing him home. Look, I’m calling you because-- yes, he’s still pissed off.” He waited. “Rex wants to talk to you.” He was silent for a minute, and then he held out the phone to Rex. “For you.” Rex took the phone and pressed it up to his ear before he could chicken out. 

There were a few seconds of absolute calm before Jango’s voice filtered through the phone. “Rex?”

Rex closed his eyes. His heart was beating a harsh staccato against his ribcage. “Yeah.”

“That’s what you like to be called now?”

“That’s my name.” Rex couldn’t keep the vitriol out of his voice that time. 

There was a sigh from the other end of the line. “I know you’re angry. I can’t say I blame you. But I’d like to talk.”

Rex had to swallow all the words that wanted to come out, all the venom and resentment and pain that had built up over eleven long years. In his head, Jango had become a monster, a villainous caricature of the father he once loved. After all this time, Rex had forgotten he was just a man. “I’m willing to talk.”

“Good. I hope you’ll allow me to explain--”

“Save it,” Rex said curtly. “I’m off work tomorrow afternoon.”

“And you’ll bring the others?” Jango asked, a hint of hopefulness in his voice. “Kix is… the youngest? Jesse? Hardcase? The twins?”

“Not Fives and Echo. They’re deployed. Marine Corps,” Rex replied. 

“Maybe another time,” Jango said. “Come to the house. We’ll talk.” 

“Goodbye, Dad.” Rex hung up the phone and shoved it back at Cody. “Tomorrow afternoon.”

Cody nodded. “I’ll be there too. Boba may not be, but I’ll try to convince him.” He put his hands into his pockets. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry things turned out this way.”

“So am I.” Rex pursed his lips. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” He walked back into the garage. He didn’t have anything else to say to Cody.

Ahsoka and Saw, who had been hanging out by the door, suddenly seemed very interested in rummaging through the bin of tools nearby. “Rex!” Ahsoka exclaimed, trying to look casual as she held three different kinds of screwdrivers in her hand. “What, uh…. What was that about?” 

Rex looked between her and Saw. “I guess you already know.” 

“What? I’m deaf.” Saw tapped his left ear. “Anyway, back to work!” He scurried back over to the motorcycle he had been working on. 

“Sorry,” Ahsoka said sheepishly. “But you’re kinda loud when you’re mad.” She put a hand on his arm. “Are you okay?” Rex squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head. Ahsoka stepped closer to him, and he allowed himself to be pulled into her arms.

“I don’t want to do this. But I have to,” Rex whispered. 

Ahsoka rubbed his back as his forehead dropped to rest on her shoulder. “You’re stronger than you think. You’ll be okay.”

“I know.” Rex pulled back and scrubbed at his eyes. “Let’s go back to work.”

Rex didn’t sleep much that night. It was only then, laying in the dark in the dead of the night, that he could let out his emotions. Face pressed into the pillow, Rex could feel his tears staining the cover as he clutched it to his chest and silently sobbed. He couldn’t remember the last time he had cried. Somehow, Jango had a way of bringing him back to that awful day when he was nine years old, his world crashing down around his ears. Even now, Rex couldn’t quite convince himself that it wasn’t. 

When his brothers returned home from school the next day, Rex was waiting for them on the couch. They already knew what was happening. Jesse set down his backpack and puffed out his chest. 

“So the ball busting is still off the table?”

Rex stood up and steered him out the door. “Let’s go.”

Rex had recently obtained his learner’s permit. Technically, this did not allow him to drive without another licensed adult, which Hardcase helpfully pointed out as Rex forced him into the passenger’s seat of the Impala. Getting arrested was the least of Rex’s worries at the moment. 

It was a short drive to the address Cody had texted him. The house was small and unassuming, tacked on the end of a cul-de-sac on the edge of an affluent neighborhood. It was larger and nicer than the house they’d had when Rex was young, he noted with a hint of bitterness. He parked in the street and pushed his brothers ahead of him as they walked up to the porch. When Rex rang the doorbell, it was Cody that answered. 

Cody nodded at Rex and opened the door wider so they could step inside. He looked as nervous as Rex felt. So much for hiding his emotions. Jango was behind Cody in the hallway, and he set a hand on his shoulder as the other boys filed in. 

Jango was much the same man Rex remembered, albeit with grayer hair and a few more lines on his face. Rex recalled that he was a tall man, though Jango now looked short compared to his sons. His expression was unreadable. “I’m glad you decided to come.”

Rex stepped aside so his brothers could meet their father. “I’m not doing this for you.”

Jesse’s eyes were darting around, taking in the entire scene. He’d never met Cody before, so it was all new. “So this is it, huh?” Jesse looked for Boba, but he wasn’t there. “This is what you left us for? Charming.”

Rex couldn’t find it in him to reprimand Jesse for his sarcasm. Jango chose to ignore it. “Let’s sit down.”

They filed into the living room. Rex sat on the couch with his brothers, while Cody and Jango took the chairs across from them. Jango leaned forward, his elbows on his knees. “I suppose I owe you an explanation.”

“You’re about eleven years too late,” Hardcase retorted. 

“Maybe I deserve that,” Jango acknowledged. “But the situation is more complicated than you know.”

“Doesn’t seem complicated to me,” Jesse said. “You know, if I was a dad, I wouldn’t leave my kids behind just because I didn’t want them anymore.”

“That’s not why I left.” Jango turned his gaze on Jesse. “I left because I truly thought you would have a better life if I was gone.”

Rex’s face twisted in anger and confusion. “What are you talking about? You’re just making excuses for what you did. If that’s all you have to say, we’re done here.” He started to stand up. 

“Rex.” Rex thought it was rather audacious of Jango to use his stern “Dad” voice when he hadn’t been one for over a decade. “Sit down.” Rex clenched his hands into fists, but he sat. “I didn’t leave because I wanted to. I left because your mother wanted me to.”

Rex stared at Jango for a long time. “She knew. She knew about your other family.”

“Yes.” Jango was rather calm for a man whose decade-old transgressions were finally being laid bare. “She did know. For many years. She knew I was sending money to support Cody, and she put up with me for a long time.” He looked down at his hands, and for the first time, a hint of guilt passed over his face. “I made many mistakes over the years. Your mother tolerated all of them. But when Cody’s mother became pregnant again, she decided I had hurt her for the last time. That’s the truth. I was gone a week later.” 

Rex rubbed at his face with both hands. “Even if I accept that, what about when she died? You didn’t even try to contact us. You know, back then I was almost naive enough to think you might care that she was dead. I guess I was wrong.”

“No, Rex. That’s not true,” Jango interjected. “I cared about your mother very much. I was devastated when she died. I always hoped that she would allow me back into your lives someday."

“More excuses.” Rex let out a disbelieving laugh. The situation wasn’t funny, but Jango’s rationalizations were honestly pathetic. “What stopped you after she died?”

“I had Cody and Boba to think about,” Jango replied. “I couldn’t afford to take in all of you, not that their mother would’ve wanted me to. I thought you would have a better life in the system. You would have good homes and families that cared for you. It was more than I could give at the time.”

“We didn’t,” Jesse said quietly from beside Rex.

Jango frowned. “What are you saying?”

“We didn’t have good homes.” Jesse’s breathing was elevated. “We didn’t.” 

Kix started to speak. “Jess, it’s okay—”

“It’s not okay!” Jesse got up from the couch and turned around, yanking his collar down so they could all see the back of his neck and shoulders.  _ “This _ is what happened to us in the system. I was  _ four _ . You say we went to a good home? I say that’s bullshit.” 

Half a dozen round, tiny scars littered Jesse’s upper shoulders. They were still pink and shiny after all this time. Cigarette burns. Rex had similar scars on his chest and arms, as did the rest of his brothers. Saw had them all over his body. 

The room was dead silent as Jesse took his seat again. Jango took a deep breath. 

“I’m sorry that happened to you. But I couldn’t have given you boys a good home. I did the best I could.” 

“Doing the best you could meant abandoning us.” That was Hardcase now, letting his anger seep into his words. “Are we supposed to forgive you? Are we supposed to say “thank you” for all those years you never contacted us?” 

Jango shook his head. “That’s not what I meant—”

“Tell me what you meant. Tell me.” Hardcase demanded. “Because I don’t believe that was the best thing for us. I think it was the best thing for you.” 

“I won’t deny that,” Jango said. “I’m not asking for you to forgive me right now. But you’re still my sons. I care about you. I want to help.”

Rex regarded him suspiciously. “Help how?” 

“Money, if you need it. I’m better off now,” Jango said. “I have a good job. I can help support you financially. I know I made a lot of mistakes. I want to make up for them.” 

“You want to buy us off.” Rex exhaled. “No. That wasn’t what this was about. You can’t sign a check and say that you’ve fixed everything. That’s not how it works.” 

“Not overnight, but with time—”

Rex got up, and this time, he wasn’t going to let Jango convince him to stay. “I think we’re done here. I don’t want your money. I don’t need your support.” 

His brothers stood up with him and followed him to the door. At the last second, Jesse flipped Jango the bird before darting out onto the porch. 

Rex herded Kix and Hardcase through the door and was halfway to the car when he heard someone behind him. It was Cody, jogging to catch up. “Rex. Wait.” 

“Go to the car.” Rex waited until his brothers were out of earshot to address Cody. “Did Jango really expect us to just eat up all the shit he was trying to feed us?” 

“I don’t know. Everything he said in there is new to me,” Cody admitted. “I know you hate him. To some degree, I do too. I don’t like what he said in there any more than you do. Just take some time to think. If he’s offering you money, maybe you should take it. I know it doesn’t make up for everything, but I know what your situation is. I know you could use the help.”

“His money comes with strings attached. I was serious when I said I didn’t want to see him.” Rex turned away. “Worry about your own family. I’ll worry about mine.” He stepped back and got into his car. 

The brothers didn’t talk on the way back home. The sun was dragging low in the sky by the time they returned to the apartment, and splashes of red, orange, and pink were just visible above the horizon. Rex clutched his keys in his hand as he let them inside and headed straight for his room. “There’s leftovers in the fridge for dinner,” he called over his shoulder before he slipped into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him.

Over the next hour, Rex heard rustling and banging in the kitchen that told him his brothers were getting something to eat. The TV was on in the living room, though Rex couldn’t make out what show it was. He was laying in bed, staring at the wall, unblinking and unfeeling. He’d spent eleven years full of hatred and loathing and pain. Now, he was too tired to feel. 

It grew dark in Rex’s room after the sun set. He hadn’t bothered to turn on a light. The TV was off now, and Rex heard footsteps coming down the hall, presumably the boys going to their room. The footsteps stopped outside his door. Then the doorknob turned. 

The three brothers came into Rex’s room and piled on the bed. Rex turned over and started to complain. “Hey, what’re you doing—“ 

Hardcase elbowed Rex a little harder than necessary as he settled into place beside him. "We’re sleeping in here tonight,” he declared.

“You’re too big for this,” Rex protested, but his complaints died when Kix climbed under the covers and put his head on his chest. It was freshly buzzed, and lightning bolts ran across his skull. Jesse was on his other side, squished between Rex and Hardcase. The boys were quiet for a few minutes before Jesse spoke up. 

“Rex?” 

“Yeah?” 

“I miss Mom.” 

Rex closed his eyes and put his arms around his brothers. “So do I, Jesse. So do I.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think of the big Jango reveal! I built him up to be quite the villain, so I'm wondering what you all think about his "explanation". As Rex put it-- he may be a villain, but he is still a man.


	15. Chapter 15

It really shouldn’t have been a surprise that taking a page out of Saw Gerrera’s book on “How To Process Your Emotions In The Worst Way Possible” ended in disaster, but it still pissed Rex off anyway. 

It wasn’t that Rex really thought alcohol would do away with his problems, but he decided in a low moment that it was worth a shot. One of the benefits of being the only adult in the apartment was that Rex didn’t have anyone to stop him from making bad decisions if he wanted to. If he wanted to ignore his emotions and pretend like he was perfectly fine, he could do that. If he wanted to drink himself stupid, he could do that too.

That was how Rex found himself on his knees one night about a week after the Jango incident, fishing his half-empty bottle of vodka out from underneath his bed. He unscrewed the cap and took a whiff, blanched at the acrid smell, and took a small swig. As predicted, drinking straight vodka was nearly unbearable, but only nearly. Rex poured the rest of it into a flask small enough to tuck into the inside pocket of his jacket and walked out into the living room where his brothers were watching TV. Hardcase was watching TV, anyway; Kix and Jesse were wrestling on the floor. Rex sighed and sidestepped his rowdy brothers to get to the door. 

“Hey, where are you going?” Jesse wheezed as Kix trapped him in a headlock. 

“Just out for a little bit. I’ll be back. Don’t stay up too late. You have school tomorrow.” Rex grabbed his keys and headed out the door before they could ask too many questions. 

Rex only planned to walk a few blocks to clear his head. After the meeting with Jango, the rest of the week had gone by in a blur of work and taking care of his brothers. Keeping himself busy meant that Rex didn’t have to think about how he felt about Jango or anything else that transpired. The whole sorry mess was a tangle of emotions that Rex just didn’t have the capacity to deal with, and as the days drew on, he felt more and more overwhelmed. 

At work, he could ignore it. With his brothers, he could hide it. But alone at night, when he no longer had any distractions to keep the bad thoughts away, Rex was suffocated by the weight of his responsibility. He had to get away, even just for a little bit. 

Rex wandered down the streets away from his apartment complex, taking small sips out of the flask until he was buzzed. The cool night air was a relief in comparison to how smothered he felt in the apartment. It was late enough that not many people were out, but Rex could see a group of teenagers in the park across the street still shooting hoops underneath a light pole. Cars passed him on the street every once in a while. It was a Sunday night, so most people were already heading to bed, dreading the daily grind at work the next day. Rex was lucky he didn’t have to worry about that. 

There was no real purpose to his steps. Rex only had one goal in mind, and that was to get drunk enough to forget the name “Jango Fett” and everything he stood for. He could have stayed in his room to drink, but he still needed to be a role model to his brothers. Seeing him this low would only hurt them. It was better to get away to drink and think and feel all the shit he had been burying inside himself for the better part of this week and the last eleven years. 

Rex didn’t notice that he had wandered away from the residential area to a cluster of bars and restaurants until he was face-to-face with the blinking neon lights and signs advertising buy one, get one free drinks. It was unfortunate that he was still a year shy of being able to legally get a drink, but tonight wasn’t about enjoyment. Rex took another discrete sip of vodka as he meandered further down the strip. He was drunk enough that it didn’t even taste that bad anymore. 

Ahead of him on the sidewalk, Rex spotted a couple in a heated argument outside a bar. It wasn’t any of his business, but Rex was feeling nosy, so he slowed down to listen as he casually strolled by. 

“Why the hell are you being so difficult, huh?” The man was talking to a woman that Rex assumed to be his girlfriend. 

“I’m being difficult? You’re the one that assumes every guy I talk to is hitting on me.” The woman was visibly frustrated. “I can handle myself, you know.” 

The man scoffed. “I’m your fucking boyfriend, remember? You shouldn’t be talking to those other guys. The only reason they came up to you is because you’re dressed like a slut.”

“Excuse me?” the woman exclaimed, her voice rising in anger. 

“You heard me. Come on. We’re going home.” The man grabbed her arm tightly and started to lead her away.

Rex narrowed his eyes and stepped into the man’s path. The woman was pushing on his arm, trying to get out of his grip. “Hey.” Rex was surprised his voice came out so clear when his head was so foggy. “Don’t grab her like that.” 

The man stopped and sized him up. He was taller and broader than Rex, an observation that the man did not miss. He scowled and stepped so close to Rex that their chests were nearly touching. “The fuck did you just say to me?” 

“Stop, just leave him alone,” The woman begged, tugging on her boyfriend’s jacket. He pushed her away and got up in Rex’s face. 

“No, I want him to repeat what the fuck he just said.” 

Rex held the man’s gaze and set his jaw. “I said, don’t grab her like that.” 

“And just what the fuck makes you think it’s any of your business?” The man put his hands on Rex and shoved him back. “Get the fuck out of my face.” 

The alcohol was already making Rex dizzy, so the push sent him back on his ass on the cold concrete. Anger swelled up in his chest, not just about the man and his asshole behavior, but about all the bitterness and loathing and pain already boiling inside him. 

The man had turned away from Rex to leave with his girlfriend, looking smug that he had won the fight. Rex picked himself up off the ground and stalked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder to turn him around. “Hey, Asshole,” he growled, and then he punched the man straight in the nose. 

His girlfriend shrieked as he stumbled back. “Oh my God, don’t, let’s just go,” she pleaded, but now the man was worked up. 

“You’re fucking dead, you punk!” The man wiped the blood off his face and charged at Rex. It should have been easy for him to side step the man’s wild swing, but Rex was unsteady on his feet and didn’t move back in time. The man’s fist connected with his jaw, and he fell back against the bar’s brick wall. 

“I’ll teach you to mouth off like that again,” the man hissed, grabbing Rex by the front of his jacket. He was so close that Rex could smell his hot, sour breath. The man drew back and punched Rex in the face again, making his head bounce off the wall. Rex groaned and shook his head to try to clear it.

In the background, Rex could vaguely hear murmuring from the gathering crowd and the man’s girlfriend yelling. The man wasn’t letting up. He repeatedly punched Rex in the face, and when Rex raised his arms to protect himself, he was sucker punched in the stomach instead. Pinned against the wall, there wasn’t much Rex could do. 

“Hey, some drunk guy’s getting beaten up!” Rex heard somebody yell as he spit out blood. His head was spinning and he could barely process anything beyond the man’s relentless assault. His torso was dealt blow after blow, and it was all Rex could do to protect his face and his sensitive bits. 

There was a small scuffle in the crowd, and suddenly the man was being yanked back. Rex slumped forward and fell onto his knees.

“Get out of here, go sober up!” Rex’s savior shoved the man back. He ended up stalking off with his girlfriend, loudly cursing out both of them. Rex lifted his head and blinked against the bar’s harsh lighting to see who his rescuer was. 

The new guy watched to make sure the drunk man was gone before he turned to Rex. “Hey, buddy, are you okay--” He stopped. “Rex?”

“Help me up.” Rex grunted as he was pulled up from the ground. “Cody, what’re you doing here?”

“I work here.” Cody pointed at the sign: _212th Street Bar and Grill._ His t-shirt was printed with their logo. “The question is, what’re you doing here?”

Rex pulled up his shirt to wipe the blood off his face. “You got a bathroom or something?”

“Through here.” Cody gently took Rex by the arm and led him inside the bar. Rex stumbled along beside Cody until they made it to the men’s bathroom. One patron was at the sink washing his hands, but he hightailed it out of there when he saw Rex covered in blood. 

Rex braced himself on the wall and turned on the water. “Paper towels,” he muttered, looking around the bathroom for a dispenser. Cody put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. 

“Let me. Lean back against the sink.”

Rex was too disoriented to argue. He turned around and sat back against the counter while Cody wet down a paper towel. Cody started mopping up the blood from his face. 

“Are you going to tell me why you were getting the shit beaten out of you out there?”

Rex winced when the paper towel brushed over a cut. “That guy was treating his girlfriend like a piece of property. Yelling at her and grabbing her arm. I told him to stop.”

Cody nodded and inspected the bruise on the back of Rex’s head. “Well, you’re going to have a nasty headache in the morning, but I think you’re going to live.”

Rex snorted. “Thanks.” He pushed Cody back and looked at himself in the mirror. Half of his face was already swollen, a testament to the fact that he had definitely lost that fight. 

Cody tossed the paper towel in the garbage. “Are you okay?”

“‘Course I am, why would you think I’m not? I’m fine.” Rex lifted his shirt and frowned at the bruises blossoming across his ribs. 

“I don’t know, I might’ve been tipped off by the fact that you were wandering around after midnight drunk off your ass and picking fights,” Cody pointed out. 

“You don’t have to worry about me.”

“Well, I am worried,” Cody said. “You keep pushing me away, Rex, and that’s fine. I understand why you don’t want anything to do with me. But clearly you’re not okay. If you don’t want to talk to me, maybe you should think about talking to someone else.”

“It’s not that simple.” Rex touched his nose and grabbed another paper towel when he saw that it was still bleeding. 

“Look…” Cody checked his phone. “I’m off soon. If you hang out at one of the tables in the front, I’ll take you home when I’m done.” Rex opened his mouth immediately to decline, but Cody cut him off. “You’re drunk. I can smell the alcohol on you. Go sit down and sober up.” 

Rex wiped his nose and threw the bloody paper towel away. He wasn’t going to make it home in this condition without a little assistance. “Alright, alright.” He exited the bathroom and managed to find an empty table near the back of the bar. Cody was nice enough to send a glass of water over to him, so Rex sipped on it while he watched a random game of baseball on the TV mounted on the wall. A mild headache was starting to creep in by the time Cody came over to Rex’s table with his jacket and keys. 

“Come on.”

Rex followed Cody out to the parking lot and got into his truck. Cody sat still for a moment, hand on his keys in the ignition. “You know, it was pretty difficult for me to sit there and listen to him spout all that bullshit too.”

Rex leaned against the door of the truck and looked out the window. “Don’t try to start this right now. You don’t get it.”

“No? I don’t get what it’s like to grow up without a father, to be raised by a single mother for half my life because my deadbeat dad didn’t care enough to stick around?” Cody said bluntly. “Do you think I was happy when he came back? He chose to stay with my mother because it was easy for him, not because he really wanted to. He was good for awhile. He was good to Boba. But all he ever wanted to do was take the easy way out so he didn’t have to deal with the consequences of his mistakes. That’s the truth.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better? That he was a shitty father to you too?” Rex asked between gritted teeth. 

“No. It doesn’t make me feel better,” Cody said. “I felt awful listening to him talk about your family like he did. You say I don’t understand, well... I’m probably the only person who does.”

“So what?” Rex said, glancing at Cody. “I don’t know what I expected out of that meeting, but it sure as hell didn’t do any good. So what are we supposed to do now?” 

“I know what I’m doing. It’s the same thing you are. Trying to raise my brother. Hoping he turns out to be a good man in spite of Jango Fett.” Cody turned his keys in the ignition and shifted into reverse. “What’s your address?”

Rex told him, and Cody started the short drive there. “Why are you so invested in this? In me?”

“Are you so surprised that I care about you?” Cody asked. “If you really want to have a drink, text me next time and you can come over to my place. You’re going to get arrested if you keep wandering around drunk and angry."

Rex scoffed. “I’m not going back to that house.”

“Not the house. I have my own apartment. I got out as soon as I could,” Cody replied. “Jango couldn’t have paid me to stay there.”

Rex looked at him in surprise. “Maybe I will, then,” he said after a moment.

Cody pulled up to Rex’s apartment building. “Or you could at least warn me if you’re going to start picking fights with drunk assholes again. If I would’ve known it was you, I might’ve let him get in a few more hits.”

Rex barely caught his smirk in the low light. “Thanks anyway, I guess.” He got out of the truck. 

Cody chuckled softly. “I’ll see you later, Rex.” Rex shut the door, and Cody drove off into the night. 

Climbing up the stairs to the apartment was a bigger challenge than Rex had anticipated, but he made it without falling and cracking open his skull. He fumbled with his keys for several long moments before he was able to get the right one into the lock. When Rex stepped into the apartment, he was greeted with the sight of his three brothers sitting on the couch, giving him triple looks of disappointment. 

Jesse crossed his arms over his chest. “And just where have you been all night? Do you know how late it is?”

“Start talking, buddy. You’re in big trouble,” Kix added.

Hardcase was the first to notice Rex’s bruised and bloody face. “Whoa, did you go to an indoor cage fighting match or something? What happened?”

Rex waved off all their questions. “I got into a little bit of a scuffle. It’s fine. I… was actually with Cody.”

“Cody?” Jesse frowned. “Why were you hanging out with him?”

“We were just talking.” Rex grabbed the remote and turned off the living room TV. “Go to bed. Now. Don’t complain when you’re tired at school tomorrow.”

Hardcase narrowed his eyes and stood up to sniff Rex. “Were you drinking?”

“BED. Now! We’ll talk tomorrow.” Rex hustled his brothers into their room. “Goodnight!” He shut the door on them before they could ask anymore probing questions. Staggering into the bathroom, Rex poured out the rest of the vodka from the flask. The thought of drinking it was making his stomach churn. 

In his room, Rex managed to get his shoes and jacket off before collapsing into bed. He was too exhausted to undress the rest of the way. As he drifted off into the blissful darkness of sleep, he spared a thought for Cody, who perhaps had more in common with him than he had originally thought. 

***

Getting ready for school was always a loud and rambunctious affair, and Rex’s brothers did not spare him simply because he was hungover. Rex pried his eyes open and glanced at the clock on the nightstand to see that it was only 7:30AM, much too early for him to be up on his day off. He turned over in bed and stuffed his head under his pillow until he heard his brothers run out the door to make it to the bus stop in time. Now he could enjoy some peace and quiet. 

Rex dozed until noon, when his headache forced him to get out of bed. He downed two Tylenol and drank a big glass of water. When the pounding in his head finally started to subside, he went into the kitchen to start a pot of coffee. He needed to get some food and caffeine in his system before he could start to feel human again. 

While the coffee dripped into the pot and a breakfast burrito warmed up in the microwave, Rex sat on the couch and watched the morning news. He knew he was starting to get old now that he was voluntarily watching the news. After a few minutes, the microwave beeped to tell him his burrito was done. As Rex stood up to retrieve it, he heard his phone ringing. Normally he wouldn’t think to answer, but his phone was right there, so he picked it up even though he didn’t recognize the number. 

“Hello?”

“Is this Rex Fett?”

Rex paused. “Yes? Who is this?”

“My name is Captain Gregar Typho, United States Marine Corps. Your brothers, Fives and Echo, serve under my division.” There was a pause, and Rex clutched the phone tightly in his hand, dreading his next words. “I’m calling to inform you that there was an accident.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I would say I'm sorry about this cliffhanger, but I'm really not.


	16. Chapter 16

Rex’s first calls were to his brothers’ schools. 

Driving there, knuckles white on the steering wheel of his 2006 Impala, Rex dimly recalled a few lines from his driver’s ed textbook: _Never drive when you’re angry or upset. Strong emotions can interfere with your ability to think and reason, reducing your ability to make decisions. Don’t let your emotions interfere with safe driving._

Rex slammed on the breaks and laid on his horn when the car in front of him slowed for a yellow light. A filthy stream of curses left his mouth, spewing vile hatred towards the woman in the blue Chevy.

It was a little late to worry about emotional interference. 

The brothers were waiting outside the high school when Rex arrived. Jesse and Kix had been instructed to walk over from the middle school to wait with Hardcase after they were pulled out of class. When Rex pulled up, the three boys piled into the car, Hardcase in the front with Rex. 

“Isn’t it still technically illegal for you to-- WHOA!” Hardcase scrambled to buckle his seatbelt when Rex suddenly accelerated out of the parking lot. “Okay, okay. No more driving comments. Got it.” 

Jesse leaned forward and poked his head in between the two front seats. “Are you gonna tell us what’s going on, Rex? Did someone die or something?” His tone was lighthearted, but his words hung heavily in the air. 

Rex kept his gaze fixed forward. “I’ll tell you when we get home. Not now.” He barely had control over his emotions as it was, and deep down, he wanted to spare them just a few more minutes of knowing what he knew. 

Jesse sat back with Kix and stayed silent for the rest of the drive home. The boys followed Rex up to the apartment and sat on the couch in a line, anxiously waiting for whatever news he was about to deliver. As Rex sat down on the coffee table in front of him, he recalled the last time they had sat down together like this. Then, the worst thing that could have happened was Jango Fett coming back into their lives. Now, Rex knew better. 

“I got a call today,” Rex began, scanning his brothers’ faces, seeing their worry and apprehension. “It was from Captain Typho, Fives and Echo’s division officer. There was an accident. Fives and Echo got hurt.”

Kix sucked in a breath. “How bad is it?” They knew the risks. They had always known there was the possibility something would happen, but in the backs of their minds, none of them had ever thought it would happen to Fives and Echo. It was something that happened to other families, not theirs. Not after they had already lost so much. 

“It could be worse,” Rex said slowly, trying to remember how Typho had phrased it. “There was an explosion. They were in a vehicle that ran over an IED on the side of the road. They’re alive, but they’re hurt badly. Fives… well, right now he’s in a coma. They’re not sure when he’s going to wake up.” Typho had really said “if”, but Rex didn't want to entertain that idea. “Echo’s in worse shape. When Captain Typho called me, he was in stable condition, but he’s suffered a lot of damage.”

Hardcase frowned. “Rex, what do you mean? What kind of damage?”

Rex cleared his throat so his brothers wouldn’t hear the tremble in his voice. “He lost his right arm and leg. His left leg was crushed under the vehicle. They tried to save it, but they may still need to amputate if the infection in his leg spreads.” 

For the first time in their young lives, Rex’s brothers had absolutely nothing to say. Hardcase stared down at his lap, nails digging into his thighs, his face a mess of confusion and pain. Kix was looking at Jesse to see his reaction, but Jesse was just as lost as the rest of them. The last time they had spoken with Fives and Echo, the twins were happy and healthy, grinning at them through the computer screen over video call. The idea that they were now lying in hospital beds just two days later, fighting for their lives, was unfathomable.

“Typho’s going to call me when they wake up,” Rex continued. “Hopefully we can talk to them soon.” 

“What about Fives?” Jesse asked, looking up at Rex. “Did he… lose anything?”

Rex shook his head. “He has some kind of head injury. They won’t know how bad it is until he wakes up.”

“When will he wake up?” Kix asked. 

“I don’t know,” Rex admitted, and it killed him to see the worry on Kix’s face. “I don’t know.” 

“Fuck,” Jesse muttered, dropping his head into his hands. “Fucking… shit.” It was all he could say in the moment. Rex couldn’t blame him. 

“For right now, we just need to wait for Captain Typho’s call. He’ll update us soon. Fives and Echo will wake up,” Rex said firmly. “They will. You know how tough they are. They’re Fetts, aren’t they? They’re going to fight. They’ll come back to us.” 

“I just wish we could do something.” Hardcase’s hands lay restless on his lap, clenching into fists and unclenching rapidly. “But we can’t. We can’t do anything.” 

“But they’re coming home, right?” Kix leaned forward. “This means they’re going to come home?” 

“Yeah.” Rex rubbed at his face and tried not to get choked up. Fives and Echo had only had another month and a half on their deployment. If only they had just made it through. “They’re going to come home.” 

“What’re we supposed to do now?” Jesse shrank back and put his feet up on the couch, wrapping his arms around his legs. 

“We can’t do anything, Jesse,” Rex said as gently as he could. “We just have to wait. Captain Typho is going to call me back soon.” 

Jesse got up from the couch and scrubbed at his eyes. Even though he was doing his best to hide it, Rex could see that he was crying. Jesse grabbed his backpack and darted into his room before Rex could say anymore, and Kix got up to follow him. “Jesse, wait.” 

Rex listened to the door slam shut and sagged forward, elbows on his knees. He clutched his phone with both hands, hoping and praying for Typho’s call, but there was nothing. “I wish we could do more, ‘Case. But we can’t. And it kills me…” Rex exhaled shakily. “This is one problem I can’t fix.” 

Hardcase clenched his jaw. “Sitting here on our asses like this fucking sucks. I wanna help them. I wanna do something. But we… we just can’t.” Overwhelmed, Hardcase got up and started to pace. “Why does this stuff keep happening to us, you know? Why us? First Dad, and Mom, and everything that happened after…” Hardcase stopped and stared at the picture of their mother that was sitting by the TV. “Why us?”

Rex stared at Hardcase in silence. He didn’t have an answer. All his life, Rex had been trying to shield his brothers from all the pain and all the hurt caused by their broken family. This, he couldn’t protect them from. This time, he was helpless. 

Eventually, Hardcase went outside to get some air. Every minute that ticked by increased Rex’s anxiety. There were so many unknowns. His brothers were alive, but there were no guarantees. Only one thing was certain: they would never be the same again. 

Rex wasn’t sure how long he sat there, staring at his phone and waiting for Typho’s call, but he noticed when the sun started to dip lower in the sky. Hardcase returned, looking solemn and resigned, and sat on the couch next to Rex. There wasn’t anything to do but wait, so Hardcase picked up the remote and turned a random movie on low. Rex’s phone sat on the coffee table in front of them, stubbornly silent. 

Kix came out of the bedroom first. He joined his brothers on the couch, wiggling in between Hardcase and Rex so he could curl up. Rex knew what Kix wanted. He put his arm around his little brother and let him lay his head on his chest. Kix had always been a cuddler, and even if he was a stubborn teenager that didn’t want to admit it out loud, Rex knew. 

Jesse wandered out a little while later and sat on Rex’s other side. “No call yet?” he asked, even though he knew the answer. 

“Not yet.” Rex glanced at him. “Are you hungry? I can make dinner.”

“No.” Jesse settled back to watch the movie. 

As the afternoon stretched into early evening, Rex kept the TV on to distract them from the inevitable. Jesse had given up on the fight to stay in his corner and was now laying against Rex’s shoulder, his expression daring his brothers to say something about it. None of them said a word, not even Hardcase. 

When the call came, Kix and Jesse were both dozing against Rex, only half-watching the TV. Rex’s ringtone cut through the tense atmosphere, making them all jump at how loud it was. Rex snatched up the phone and put it on speaker so they could all hear. 

“Hello?” 

“Rex, it’s Captain Typho. Good news.” Rex allowed a tiny spark of hope to ignite inside him at the captain’s words. “Fives is awake. They don’t think he suffered any permanent brain damage, but they’ll know more in the next few days. Echo is still asleep after his surgery. So far, the infection isn’t spreading, but they’re monitoring him.” 

The tension melted out of Rex’s shoulders and he collapsed back, closing his eyes in relief. “When can we talk to Fives?” 

“Soon. He’s resting right now. Hopefully, he’ll be strong enough to talk by tomorrow.” 

“Okay. Thank you,” Rex said. He looked around at his brothers, who were all visibly relieved. “So what happens now?” 

“Right now, Fives and Echo aren’t stable enough for transport. It may be several weeks before they’re able to come back to the United States,” Typho explained. “Even then, with the extent of their injuries, they may still have to spend some time in the hospital. In the meantime, we can arrange regular contact between you and your brothers. I understand you won’t be able to fly out here?”

“I can’t leave,” Rex said, and the words left a bitter taste on his tongue. “I wish I could. But I have to work and I have three other brothers.” 

“I completely understand. I will do my best to get you timely and accurate information,” Typho promised. “Do you have any questions right now?” 

Rex glanced at his brothers, who shrugged. “I don’t think so. Just… call when Echo wakes up. We want to talk to both of them.” 

“Of course. Like I said, you should be able to speak with Fives soon,” Typho said. “If there’s anything else you need or any questions you have, please give me a call.” 

“Right. Thank you again.” Rex hung up and set his phone down on the table again. “Fives is okay.” 

Hardcase grinned and shook Rex’s shoulder. “Fives woke up. He’s okay. He’s gonna be okay.” 

“Does this mean we’re missing school tomorrow?” Jesse asked hesitantly. 

“Oh, shit.” Rex groaned. “Yeah. I’ll have to call your school. And I have to call Anakin. I can’t work tomorrow.” He checked the time, figuring Anakin should still be awake. “Just give me a second.” Rex grabbed his phone and got up, dialing Anakin’s number when he reached his bedroom. 

“Rex, what’s up?” Anakin asked happily, his usual jovial self. 

Rex almost felt bad for ruining his evening with the news, but he couldn’t get around it. Anakin would find out eventually anyway. “Something happened. I’m not going to make it to work tomorrow.” 

“Whoa, that sounds serious,” Anakin said. “Are you okay? Are your brothers okay?” 

“It’s Fives And Echo.” Rex hadn’t planned on getting emotional, but here he was, trying to choke back tears on the phone with his boss. Telling Anakin made it all feel so real. “There was an accident. They’re in a hospital overseas right now. It’s… pretty bad. Fives has some kind of head injury, and Echo’s in really bad shape. I can’t be there for them, but Fives is supposed to call tomorrow, and I don’t know if Echo’s really going to be okay, I mean, his injuries are so bad…”

“Slow down, Rex, it’s alright,” Anakin said gently. “Take as much time as you need. Take the week off. I’ll cover any extra shifts if needed. You need to be with your family right now.”

“Yeah.” Rex covered his mouth so Anakin wouldn’t hear the soft sob that wanted to come out. When he had composed himself, he spoke again. “It’s bad, but they’re still alive.” 

“Rex, I’m so sorry.” Anakin’s voice was full of genuine sympathy. “If you need anything… _anything,_ tell me, okay? Are they in stable condition?” 

“For now, yeah.” Rex swallowed thickly. “For now.” 

“Okay. That’s good,” Anakin said. “Go be with your brothers. That’s what you need right now. Don’t worry about work. We’ll talk about it later.” 

“You’ve done so much for me, I’m sorry--” Rex started, but Anakin cut him off. 

“Rex, don’t be. Don’t be sorry. The last thing you need right now is to be worried about your job. That’s not as important as your brothers,” Anakin said firmly. “I know how important family is. My family is everything to me. Obi-Wan, Padme, Luke And Leia… I’d be a wreck if something happened to one of them. So just take a deep breath, and remember you have people that care about you watching your back.” 

Silent tears rolled down Rex’s cheeks, and he nodded even though Anakin couldn’t see him. “You have no idea what that means to me.” 

“I just hope I can take away a little bit of stress,” Anakin said. “Call if you need me, I’m serious. Even if you just need someone to vent to.” 

“I will. I appreciate it.”

“Talk to you later, Rex.” 

Rex hung up and tossed his phone onto his bed, sinking down onto the mattress. It had been a long few hours, and he had an even longer week ahead of him. He had to find the strength to be there for his brothers, all of them. That was his burden. 

After taking a few minutes to collect himself, Rex called the boys’ schools and left voicemails detailing why they wouldn’t be there for the rest of the week. When he came back out into the living room, the TV was off and his brothers were waiting for him. 

“Rex.” Hardcase got up. “We were talking, and… I just wanna say that you don’t have to pretend like this isn’t affecting you too. I remember how hard it was after Mom died. You may think we didn’t pick up on it, but we did, or at least I did. I know you only cried at night when you thought we wouldn’t see you. I know you were terrified of Mother Talzin, but you stood up to her anyway. And I know you made yourself sick with worry when Luminara told us that we were getting split up. So… don’t do that. You don’t have to pretend.” Hardcase crossed the room and threw his arms around Rex, picking him up a few inches off the ground with the force of his hug. 

“‘Case, what the hell,” Rex wheezed. Hardcase didn’t normally like to show physical affection, so this was new. 

“Shut up and accept it. Dumbass,” Hardcase growled in his ear. Rex sighed and awkwardly patted him on the back until Hardcase let go. 

“Thank you. That was… thank you.” Rex coughed a little. “I think we should all try to get some sleep. We’ve been through a lot today, but hopefully in the morning, we can talk to Fives--” He paused when he saw his brothers heading down the hall to his room. “Hold on, that’s not what I said.” 

“Too bad.” Kix tugged Rex towards his room. Jesse and Hardcase were already settling in. 

“I’m serious, you’re too big for this. You were too big for it last time,” Rex protested. His brothers stared at him, refusing to budge. “Fine. Jesse, move over.” Rex got into bed, and Kix happily clambered in after him. “‘Case, don’t steal the damn blankets this time.” 

“That’s not me, that’s sleep me. Two totally different people. Not my fault.” 

“Tell sleep you to stop farting so much.” 

“Shut the fuck up, Jess. Go to sleep. Goodnight, assholes.” 

***

Despite having to share his bed with three living heaters, Rex managed to stay asleep for most of the night. He only woke up when his phone went off on the nightstand beside him. It was a text, not a call, but Rex hurried to grab his phone anyway. He frowned when he saw who it was. 

_Obi-Wan: Would it be alright if I drop by around 7:30am? -Obi-Wan_

Obi-Wan rarely texted him, especially this early, but Rex was up now. Rex carefully disentangled himself from the pile of blankets and limbs and got out of bed. It was endearing that Obi-Wan signed off all his texts with his name, but he was old-fashioned for a guy in his 30s. Rex texted him back that it was fine and went about making a pot of coffee. He didn’t keep tea in the house, so he hoped Obi-Wan wouldn’t mind a latte or something similar if he wanted a drink.

As expected, Obi-Wan arrived at exactly 7:30. Rex opened the door, mug of coffee in one hand, and was treated to the sight of Obi-Wan holding a large, heavy box. “Oh… hey.”

“Rex. My apologies for dropping by this early, but class starts at 8:30, so I thought I’d try to catch you on my way to school,” Obi-Wan said. “I won’t bother you for more than a minute. May I come in?”

“Sure. What’s in the box?” Rex stepped aside to let Obi-Wan in. 

“Well, Anakin called me last night,” Obi-Wan said as he walked into the kitchen. “I’m very sorry about your brothers, Rex. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. I was thinking that there must be something I can do to help, so I’ve brought you a few things.” Rex watched, speechless, as Obi-Wan set down the box on their tiny kitchen table and started unloading items. 

“It isn’t much, but I thought you must have bigger things to worry about right now than how to feed your family. I made some meals that should last you a few days. This is a casserole that you can keep in the freezer until you want to bake it. There’s pasta in here, a homemade chicken pot pie, and of course, I made some sweets for you. I didn’t know what type of desserts your brothers prefer, so there’s cookies and brownies. I just made a batch of lemon bars, so I snuck a few in there as well. Now, I know this won’t last long in a house full of hungry teenage boys, so I included a gift card for one of those food delivery services-- Oh!” Obi-Wan stopped and smiled when Rex wrapped his arms around him tightly. 

“Thank you.” Rex’s voice was thick with emotion. “You didn’t have to do all that.”

Obi-Wan returned his hug, slowly rubbing Rex’s back to soothe him. He smelled annoyingly good, like cinnamon and honey, and his sweater was so soft. Rex would have hugged him all day if he could. “You’re very welcome. It was my pleasure. I’m sure you have enough trouble as it is figuring out how to feed the hungry beasts. Anakin nearly ate me out of house and home when he was around that age.”

Rex pulled back and smiled a little. “Hardcase is the worst. He eats more than the rest of us combined.” He started putting the food away in the fridge with Obi-Wan’s help. They didn’t have much as it was, and Rex was a little embarrassed by his bare-bones fridge and pantry. 

Obi-Wan paid no notice and simply packed away all the items. “Anakin didn’t tell me much, but he told me enough. I don’t mean to invade your privacy, but I have to ask… Are you alright, Rex?” He had a way of asking that demanded the truth, and Rex couldn’t help but feel Obi-Wan was staring right into his soul with that question. 

Rex finished putting away the cookies and leaned back against the counter. “The past few weeks have been pretty overwhelming. I know you know about Jango, so I’ll spare you the details. Then this thing with Fives and Echo happened… I really thought things would get better after I got custody of my brothers. I thought I put all the hardship behind me. But now this is all happening at once, and I can’t…” Rex gestured helplessly. “I don’t know what to do.”

“Sometimes it’s alright not to know,” Obi-Wan said gently. “Life has thrown you quite a few tragedies, Rex, but I’ve seen you overcome them with a strength that honestly baffles me. You’re an incredibly dedicated and determined young man, more so than anyone I’ve ever met. But that doesn’t mean you won’t feel lost sometimes, or depressed, or angry or lonely or sad. That’s part of being human.”

“I just feel so… powerless,” Rex confessed. “I want to help Fives and Echo, but I can’t. There’s nothing I can do. I can’t even go visit them. Right now, we’re just stuck. Waiting.”

“That’s the hard part, isn’t it? Not the doing, but the not being able to do anything.” Obi-Wan reached out and squeezed Rex’s arm. “Put your faith in Fives and Echo. They’re strong. They’ll fight. And they will come home to you.”

“Yeah.” Rex cleared his throat. “Thank you. They’re gonna go nuts when they see all the desserts. Those cookies will probably last half a day.”

“I’ll take it as a compliment.” Obi-Wan smiled. “I should be getting on my way to school. Don’t hesitate to ask for any help you need.”

Rex walked Obi-Wan to the door. “I… I will.” When Obi-Wan was gone, he went back to the kitchen and hid a few cookies, brownies, and lemon bars in a separate container. Obi-Wan may have been joking when he called Rex’s brothers hungry beasts, but it was more true than he knew. 

A quick check of his phone told him that Typho still hadn’t called, but Rex held out hope. If there was one thing he really needed right now, it was to hear his brother’s voice. If he could just talk to Fives, if he could just hear that he was alright, then Rex could start to believe that his brothers really would be okay. They had to be. 


	17. Chapter 17

Rex liked to think he generally fed his brothers a healthy diet, but when cookies were available for breakfast, it was cookies they had. As predicted, Hardcase ate half the container by himself, but he was kind enough to leave a few cookies behind for Jesse and Kix to share. 

Settling in to watch morning cartoons with his brothers, Rex was suddenly struck with how empty the room seemed. Though Fives and Echo had been gone for a while now, Rex still found himself looking for them in every room. They had been a family of six for so long that being without the twins was unnerving. A pang of sorrow punched Rex in the gut when he realized how much they had nearly lost, and how much they could still lose. 

Waiting for Fives’ call was an eternity of restless tension. Jesse and Kix were content to waste the time by consuming endless garbage TV and Obi-Wan’s sweets, but Hardcase grew more agitated as the time passed. He always had to have something to do with his hands, and he had found a pen wedged between the sofa cushions that he was clicking incessantly. His foot bounced up and down, rattling the entire couch with the force of his movements. Rex was used to Hardcase’s quirks and could usually ignore them, but compounded with his own anxiety, it was starting to drive him crazy. 

“‘Case.” 

Hardcase clicked the pen in a mindless, rapid sequence as he passively watched a commercial about toothpaste. “Hm?”

“The pen.” 

“The what? Oh.” Hardcase tossed the pen onto the coffee table. “It’s your fault, you know.” 

Rex scoffed. “How is your pen clicking my fault?” 

“Because you dropped me on my head as a baby. That’s why I’m like this.” Hardcase grinned. 

“Who told you that?” Rex asked. 

“Mom did,” Hardcase replied. “And before you call her a liar, remember she and the Good Lord are watching us in heaven.” He put his hands together like he was praying and nodded solemnly. 

Rex leaned back and shoved Hardcase with his foot. “I can’t believe you’re using our dead mother as a scapegoat for your annoying habits.” 

“Well, I can’t believe you dropped me as a baby, so I guess we’re even.” Hardcase caught Rex’s foot and tickled the bottom, right where Rex was sensitive. 

Laughter burst out of Rex in reflex. “You are such an asshole.” 

“You didn’t have to adopt me.” 

“That threat to make all of you sleep outside with no blanket is still good.” 

“Hey, guys--”

“I’m a child, you can’t do that to me.” 

“You’re seventeen, you’re not a child.”

“GUYS!” Kix hollered, breaking them out of their argument. “The phone’s ringing!” 

Hardcase dropped his brother’s foot in surprise. Rex leapt across the couch, snatching the phone up from where it was charging on the side table. He answered and put it on speaker.

“Fives?” 

An unfamiliar female voice responded. “Is this Rex Fett?” 

“Yeah, I’m Rex Fett,” Rex said. “Are you calling about my brothers, Fives and Echo?” 

“Yes, I am. My name is Dr. Rig Nema. I’m overseeing your brothers’ treatment and recovery,” the woman said. “There’s been some updates I’d like to discuss with you.” 

Rex willed his racing heart to calm down. “Go ahead.” Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase crowded around the phone to listen.

“First, we’re still monitoring Echo’s condition,” Dr. Nema began. “Our main concern is the infection in his left leg. As you know, his right leg was amputated about midway up his thigh. Unfortunately, we’re seeing that the infection in his left leg is starting to spread. We’ve started a new round of antibiotics, but if his condition does not improve soon, we may have to amputate the left leg as well.”

Rex lowered his head. “There’s no other way?”

“We’ll do everything in our power to save his leg. The good news is that the infection is in his calf, which means that we will likely be able to save his knee,” Dr. Nema said. “That’s why the next few hours are crucial. If we wait too long and the infection spreads further, we may have to amputate above the knee, which will make physical therapy more difficult in the long run.”

“Okay. I understand. Do what you need to do.” Rex exhaled. “What about Fives?”

“Fives is awake. He’s doing well. He’s still quite groggy, but he’s doing much better than he was yesterday,” Dr. Nema said. “We haven’t observed any ill effects due to the head injury he sustained yet. However, it’s still possible that he may experience difficulties later on. It’s hard to say since he hasn’t been awake long. While he was unconscious, he suffered a minor stroke that may have affected some of his brain functions. We’ll know more with some additional testing.”

Fives’ stroke was a hard pill to swallow. Rex was eager to hear his brother’s voice. Only then would he be convinced that Fives was truly alive and well. “Can he talk?”

“He should be awake. If he is, he can talk for a few minutes. Hold, please.” The line went silent, and Rex looked up at his brothers. 

“A head injury sounds serious,” Kix said, eyebrows furrowed with worry. 

“Hey, you heard the doc.” Hardcase nudged him. “He hasn’t had any ill effects or whatever. That means he’s okay.”

“He’s okay,” Rex repeated. “Fives will be fine.”

There was a click over the phone, and Dr. Nema picked up again. “Fives is awake and he’s very excited to talk to you.” She chuckled softly, and there was rustling as the phone was handed over. 

“Hello? Helloooo?”

Rex held his breath. “Fives?”

“Hey. Rex. Good.” Fives was hard to understand, but he sounded happy. 

Relief washed over Rex, and an audible sigh left his lips. “It’s good to hear your voice.”

“Hold on. Sounds funny,” Fives giggled, and there were more rustling sounds on the other side. 

Rex couldn’t help but crack a smile. “They got you on the good stuff, huh?”

“Mhm… yeah… drugs,” Fives mumbled. “Head injury. Doctor… told you?”

“Yeah, they did. How do you feel?”

“Head hurts. Got knocked…. unconscionable,” Fives declared. 

Kix snorted. “Uh, you mean unconscious?”

“Who?” Fives exclaimed. “Kix? Jesse?”

“It’s Kix!”

“And Jesse!” Jesse hollered into the phone. “Hardcase is here too.”

Fives laughed softly. “Rex…” He struggled for a moment. “Sorry.”

Rex paused, a sudden cold settling in the pit of his stomach. “Fives, are you okay?”

“Ah.... words... words…” Fives inhaled sharply. “Doctor.” 

Suddenly, Fives’ voice was gone, replaced by Dr. Nema. “I’m sorry, Rex. Fives is having some difficulties right now. I think it would be best if we tried this again a little later.”

“Wait,” Rex blurted out. He sounded panicked even to his own ears. “What’s wrong with him? Why does he sound like that?”

“Just a moment.” Rex heard the sound of a door closing, and then Dr. Nema spoke again, softer this time. “It wasn’t obvious because he hasn’t been speaking much, but the stroke may have affected his speech production. It doesn’t seem like a motor issue, but we’ll know more once we run some tests. Language problems are not uncommon in patients that have had strokes.”

“But it’s temporary?” Rex asked quickly. “He’ll recover?”

“It’s hard to say. I wish I could give you more information right now,” Dr. Nema said sympathetically. “I know this is a tough time. Fives suffered a very traumatic injury. You’ll have to be patient with him.”

“I know. I just wasn’t expecting that.” Rex swallowed the emotion crawling up his throat. “Can we talk to him again soon? What about Echo?” 

“We’ll try to get him back on the phone with you soon,” Dr. Nema answered. “As for Echo, that may not be possible for a few days. It depends on whether or not he needs additional surgery."

“But you’ll call?” Rex asked.

“Of course. I’ll make sure a nurse contacts you if I can’t call personally,” Dr. Nema said. “I’ll let you know when we have more information about Fives’ condition.”

“Okay. Thank you.” 

“Of course. We’ll speak soon, Mr. Fett.” 

Rex stared at the phone in disbelief for a few seconds longer, even after Dr. Nema hung up. His brothers were quiet, still processing what had happened. 

“Is Fives gonna be okay?” Jesse wondered aloud, looking around at all of his brothers. “It’ll be fine, right? He won’t be like that forever?”

“I don’t know.” Rex slowly leaned back against the couch. “He was supposed to be the one that was fine.”

“He will be,” Hardcase said firmly. “And so will Echo. He’ll wake up soon.” He was quiet. “He has to.”

Overwhelmed with sudden emotion, Rex got up from the couch and walked into the kitchen to pour himself a now-cold cup of coffee. The cookies were churning in his stomach and the caffeine was making him dizzy, but it was a welcome distraction from the pit of despair that had opened up in his chest.

Fives’ call was supposed to be a reassurance. Rex had needed his confidence and his humor to break through the fog in his head and remind him that it would all be okay in the end. Instead, it had only brought more pain, confusion, and anger. In the midst of all the uncertainty, Rex found himself suddenly so very alone, stretching out a desperate hand for the support of the two people he couldn’t reach. Echo was still unconscious, his fate uncertain, and Fives couldn’t communicate with them even if he wanted to. It was a living nightmare, and Rex desperately wished he could just wake up. 

It took Rex several seconds to realize he was crying. Hot tears escaped down his cheeks, dripping down onto the counter below him. His shoulders shook with the weight of his burden. Jango, Fives, Echo, all of it-- all the decisions, all the responsibility, was left to him. There was no out. There was no way to walk away, even if he wanted to. Sometimes, there was a dark part of Rex that wished he could, but his family was ultimately more important than anything he could possibly gain by leaving. 

“Rex?” A quiet voice startled Rex out of his emotional trance. He pulled back, quickly wiping his eyes. 

“Yeah, Kix?” 

“Ahsoka is texting you.” Kix held out his phone. “Are you okay?” 

“Yeah. Go watch your cartoons.” Rex took the phone and turned away before Kix could see how puffy and red his eyes were. Reluctantly, his brother trudged back into the living room. Rex turned on his phone to peek at his texts. 

_ 💙Ahsoka💙: Hey Rex. I heard about what happened. When you’re ready to talk, I’m here for you.  _

Rex typed out his response with shaky fingers. The last thing he wanted was for her to worry about him, but he couldn’t find it in himself to put on a brave face this time. 

_ R: Fives and Echo aren’t doing so good. I’ll call you later.  _

Rex watched Ahsoka type for several minutes. Finally, the speech bubble disappeared, and Rex figured she had gotten caught up in whatever she was doing. He brought his coffee to their tiny kitchen table and sipped at it, wincing as the cold, bitter liquid hit his tongue. About ten minutes later, Ahsoka’s name popped up again. 

_ 💙Ahsoka💙: Are you busy right now?  _

_ R: No. Why?  _

_ 💙Ahsoka💙: Come outside  _

Rex frowned and got up from the table. His brothers had left the living room to go to their bedroom, so he wasn’t questioned as he made his way to the door and stepped outside. He was barefoot, but the pavement was cool enough to walk on. Below him, parked in front of his building, was Ahsoka in her car. She stepped out and waved when she saw him. 

“Rex!” 

Shaking his head in disbelief, Rex made his way down to her. Ahsoka’s long hair was pulled into two messy braids, her typical casual look, and she was wearing a matching orange pajama set. From the sleep still clinging to her eyes, he could tell she had just rolled out of bed. “What’re you doing here?” 

“I’m here for you. I didn’t want to bother you, but… maybe you could use a drive-by hug?” Ahsoka smiled a little and held out her arms. 

Rex stepped into her arms willingly, dropping his forehead onto her shoulder. Her hand came up to rest on the back of his neck, scratching his buzzed hairline in the way that always soothed him. She was gorgeous, even though her hair was sticking up everywhere and she was dressed in pajamas and flip flops. She was everything he needed in that moment. 

“I got you, Rex,” Ahsoka whispered in his ear. “I’m here.” 

“Fives had a stroke.” Rex pressed his face into her neck, breathing in the fruity scent clinging to her skin and hair. “Echo… his leg… they already took so much from him. His arm, his right leg… they might have to amputate the left one too. He doesn’t even know yet. He hasn’t woken up.” 

“He’s strong.” Ahsoka held onto the back of his shirt, cradling him close to her. “They both are. They’ll get through this. So will you. You have so many people that love you, Rex. All the support you could ever need. I promise I’ll be here no matter what happens.”

“I can’t lose them,” Rex choked out. “But I feel like I already have.” 

“Well… things might be different now,” Ahsoka said slowly. “But they’re still your brothers. From what Saw told me, after his accident, he wasn’t quite the same either. But it’s still him. You still care about him and love him.” 

“Yeah.” Rex pulled back and used his shirt to dry off his wet eyes. “They were so close to coming home too. Then this had to happen.” 

“If there’s one thing I know, they love you a lot, and you love them.” Ahsoka smiled. 

“I do. I just don’t know what this is going to mean for us,” Rex said. “If Fives’ brain damage is permanent, I don’t know what will happen. He can barely string three words together. What if there are other effects too?” 

“Then you’ll help him work through it.” Ahsoka squeezed Rex’s arm. “It’s okay to be scared. I’m worried for you too. But I know that you’ll figure it out. You always do.” 

“You have a lot more confidence in me than I have in myself,” Rex admitted. 

“That’s because I see what a strong, confident person you are.” Ahsoka nudged him. “Not to mention handsome.” 

Rex chuckled and cracked a smile. “Shut up.” 

“It’s true. But your roots are growing in.” Ahsoka reached up and rubbed his fuzzy blond hair. “You should let me dye it. The way you do it makes your head look like a tennis ball.” 

“You’re not the first person who’s said that,” Rex muttered. 

“You’re my tennis ball,” Ahsoka declared. “It’s sexy. A sexy… tennis ball.” They both laughed. 

“Fine, I’ll let you dye my hair.” 

Ahsoka tapped her chin. “This opens up the possibilities for more colors. How do you feel about pink?” 

“No.” 

“Red?” 

“Hm… that’s not as bad as pink.” 

“Blue?” 

“I do like blue.” 

“I’ll convince you someday.” Ahsoka knocked Rex’s hip with hers. “I know you’re probably not up for hanging out, so I won’t keep bothering you.”

“You never bother me.” Rex glanced over his shoulder to make sure his brothers weren’t watching from their window before he snuck a kiss. There were no whoops or jeers, so he was in the clear. 

Ahsoka kissed him back and stroked his cheek before they parted. “Call me soon.” 

“I will. I like the pajamas, by the way.” 

Ahsoka playfully shoved him. “Shut up. I was in a hurry and they were the first thing I saw on my floor.” 

Rex frowned. “Wait, then what were you wearing in bed?” 

Ahsoka winked and got into her car. “You don’t get to know that.” She started it and waved as she drove off. 

Rex stared at her license plate as she turned around the corner, his mind racing with the possibilities. After Ahsoka was gone, he shook his head and turned to go back into the apartment. Maybe he would get to know later, if he was lucky. 

Just as Rex reached the bottom of the stairs, Jesse came running out and yelled down at him. 

“Your phone’s ringing! Get up here!” 

Rex sprinted up the stairs and grabbed his phone out of Jesse’s hands. He answered it and fumbled with the speaker phone button as they all gathered around. 

“Dr. Nema?” 

“Mr. Fett, there’s been an update. Echo is being rushed into surgery right now,” Dr. Nema explained. “His condition has rapidly declined. If we don’t operate now, the infection will continue spreading up his leg.” 

Rex’s heart sank. “But you’ll be able to save his knee?” 

“Echo has the best surgeons working on him right now,” Dr. Nema assured him. “It’s very possible that they could still save his knee.” 

“Doctor,” Hardcase suddenly interrupted. “If Echo loses both of his legs, will he ever be able to walk again?” 

“It’s absolutely possible. With physical therapy and some time, Echo may be able to walk with prosthetics someday,” Dr. Nema said. “It depends on what he wants.” 

“Thanks. Just… wanted to know.” Hardcase scratched the back of his neck. 

“That’s perfectly fine. I encourage you to ask questions,” Dr. Nema said. “The surgery will take a few hours, but I’ll call you when it’s done. Our hope is that he’ll be able to kick this infection and his condition will stabilize.” 

“Thank you, Dr. Nema.” 

Rex slipped his phone into his pocket and put a hand on Hardcase’s shoulder. “It’s too early to worry about Echo walking right now.” 

“I know.” Hardcase stared down at the floor. “I was just thinking about all the stuff I wanted to do when they got back. We were gonna go to the movies and play football and go swim and stuff. Now…” He trailed off.

“It’s still Fives and Echo,” Rex said. “We’ll do all those things. Someday.” 

“Someday.” Hardcase nodded. “Yeah. They’re still our brothers.” 

Rex sat on the couch and tossed his phone down. “I guess we need to wait to see what happens with his surgery.” 

The brothers didn’t speak for a few minutes, each somber and stony-faced. The idea of Echo losing both of his legs was terrifying, but even more frightening than that was the thought that he could die on the operating table. Rex pushed that out of his mind and tried to focus on the positives. Fives was alive and awake, Echo was alive, and it would all be over soon. They could all heal soon. 

Jesse was the first to break the heavy silence. “Rex… is the pasta in the fridge up for grabs, or…?” 

Rex sighed and got up. “Yes, it is. Come on. Let’s eat.” He put his arm around Jesse and walked with his brothers to the kitchen, still keeping an ear out for a ringing phone. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahsoka's contact name for Rex is "Sexy Rexy" with a tennis ball emoji next to it and I cannot be convinced otherwise. Also, she was definitely wearing like a big t shirt and granny panties to bed. She just likes to tease Rex because he's a man and he's oblivious. 
> 
> Just for fun: If anyone can tell me the name of the neurological disorder Fives has, I will write that person a one-shot of whatever pairing or prompt they desire (as long as it's within the realm of something I would normally write). I study linguistics, so I'm very nerdy about this kind of stuff :')
> 
> Edit: I’ll cap out at the people that have already guessed it! Holy shit, that was fast. It warms my nerdy little linguistics heart :’)


	18. Chapter 18

When the call came, some five stressful hours later, Rex was only glad that Echo had made it out alive. 

As it turned out, Dr. Nema had been correct when she assured them Echo had the most skilled surgeons on his team. They were able to save his knee, which was good news for physical therapy down the line, though he would still have to contend with having a missing right leg and right arm. In a quiet moment after the call ended, Rex tried to picture what his brother would look like, but he could only produce images of mutilated limbs and the terrified look Echo must’ve had on his face as he lay, bleeding and dying, in the dirt. Echo was alone then, and he was alone in a hospital bed halfway across the world, fighting just to stay alive. Though Rex logically knew his own actions had nothing to do with the situation, he couldn’t help but feel like a failure regardless. 

Rex’s brothers were taking it as well as they could. Hardcase was the most sensitive of them all, but he fought the hardest to keep his emotions in check. Jesse and Kix took comfort in each other as they always did. Hardcase, taking after Rex, tried his best to shoulder the burden on his own. 

It was evening when Rex found Hardcase outside their apartment, sitting on the steps and clutching something Rex couldn’t see to his chest. As Rex drew closer, he realized that was the ratty stuffed bear that was almost as old as Hardcase himself. It had lost its stuffing through its busted seams long ago, but Echo had it refurbished for Hardcase’s 15th birthday. Hardcase had pretended to be embarrassed back then, but Fives later told Rex he had slept with it on his pillow ever since. 

Hardcase hurriedly wiped his eyes when he saw Rex coming, though he couldn’t hide the puffy redness that gave him away. Rex walked down the last few steps and sat next to his brother. He held out a hand silently, and Hardcase passed him the bear. 

“I think Buddy needs a new ribbon.” Rex retied the red ribbon around the bear’s neck, careful of the frayed edges. Hardcase looked at him in surprise. 

“How-- I mean, it doesn’t have a name. It’s just a bear.” 

Rex smiled and handed Buddy back to Hardcase. “I know he means a lot to you.” 

Hardcase slowly squished Buddy’s tummy, running his fingers over the soft fur. “It’s the last gift Echo gave me before he left,” he whispered. “They missed my other birthdays.” 

“Your next one is big. Eighteen.” Rex’s gaze traveled over Hardcase’s face, noting the stress lines that were too prominent for such a young man. That was what Hardcase was now; a man, no longer the boy Rex knew. He saw himself in the bags under Hardcase’s eyes. Fives was in the curve of his jaw; Echo, the shape of his nose; Jesse, the proud jut of his chin; Kix, the upwards lilt of his mouth. They were blood. No one could mistake them for anything but, and yet Rex was still blown away by how his brothers had grown up right in front of his eyes. 

“How… did you do it?” Hardcase asked slowly. “You adopted us when you were eighteen. You took care of all of us. My whole life, you’ve been taking care of all of us. I’m seventeen and I have no idea what I’m doing. If it wasn’t for you…” He tightened his grip on Buddy. “I’d be lost.” 

“There were a lot of times I felt lost,” Rex admitted. “More than I really showed. Especially when Fives and Echo left.” He looked down at his clasped hands in his lap. “We didn’t have a good relationship back then. I worried that you would never connect with me like you did with them. That was before you came out, but still.” 

Hardcase hastily wiped at his eyes again. “I hated myself for a long time,” he said after a beat, his voice thick with emotion. “When Fives told me he was bi, that was the first time I didn’t hate myself. He said it so casually. He and Echo were just messing around, and Echo was teasing him about kissing the boy in their biology class. And then Echo was complaining about how he had a crush on that boy and he never noticed him, so why did he like Fives? They’re twins. They look the same.” He smiled a little. “I was so shocked. I always felt wrong. Dirty, almost. Like I had this secret nobody could know. And I worried… I worried that if I told you, you wouldn’t want me as your brother. Because I’m a freak.” His chin wobbled. “Fives and Echo, they… they just made me feel normal. It wasn’t that I hated you or anything like that. They just understood me.” 

“‘Case, I never…” Rex stared at him in shock. “I could never hate you. I’m sorry if I did something that would make you think that I would ever disown you as my brother.”

“No. It was other people, mostly,” Hardcase said. “I was just really looking forward to them coming back, you know? There’s so much I wanted to say.” He traced Buddy’s black button nose. “I know they’re not dead, but I feel like my brothers are gone. Hearing Fives trying to talk made me wonder if we were going to have conversations like we used to ever again.”

“I think I’m just trying to focus on the fact that they’re alive,” Rex said slowly. “I know things won’t be like they were. But Fives and Echo need us now.”

Hardcase nodded and set his jaw. “It’s my turn to be there for them. Like they were for me.”

Rex sat by Hardcase in silence for a few minutes, watching the evening sun dip below the trees. The shadows stretched and elongated, darkening the road until the street lights turned on. It was innocently serene, as if the trees had no idea what had gone down in the apartment over the last two days. “Hey, ‘Case.”

“Yeah?”

“There’s something I was going to tell you, but I didn’t really know when the right time would be,” Rex said. “I guess now’s as good a time as any.”

Hardcase frowned. “Okay. Is it serious?”

“Not really.” Rex sighed and leaned his elbows on his knees. “I think I’m bisexual.”

Hardcase’s mouth dropped open, and he made a few confused noises before he was able to gather himself enough to speak coherently. “...What?”

“I started thinking about it after you came out, and I figured it didn’t really matter once I got a girlfriend,” Rex explained. “But I think so.”

“Wait, wait. You gotta give me more than that.” Hardcase shook his head in amazement. “How did you figure it out?”

“Well…” Rex chuckled softly and looked at Hardcase. “My first crush was on a boy.”

Hardcase narrowed his eyes. “Someone I know? You gotta spill more than that. You can’t just tell me you’re bi and not say anything else.”

Rex cleared his throat. “It was… Saw.”

Hardcase’s face split into a giant grin. “You had a crush on Saw? Now that is a juicy secret. Wait, you don’t still like him, do you? Man, that would make work awkward.”

“No. It was just a kid crush,” Rex said, chuckling at Hardcase’s enthusiasm. “It was when we were still at the home. I didn’t realize it was a crush until a lot later, but by then, it didn’t matter. And he’s five years older than me.”

Hardcase hummed and stroked his chin. “I can get behind that,” he said finally. “Saw’s pretty hot.”

“And off limits for you.” Rex elbowed Hardcase lightly. “He’s twenty-five.”

“I’m allowed to look. Besides, I’m almost eighteen. You said it yourself.”

Rex shot him a death glare. “No. Off limits.”

Hardcase cracked up. “I’m pretty sure he’s straight. If we’re talking about friends of yours that are hot, we can’t go without mentioning Obi--”

“No,” Rex said loudly, clapping a hand over Hardcase’s mouth. “No, no. You’re not going to talk about my middle-aged English teacher like that.”

Hardcase snickered behind Rex’s hand. “You had a crush on Mr. Kenobi,” he mumbled as best he could. 

“I did not have a crush on Obi-Wan.” Rex removed his hand and rubbed at his face to get rid of the blush that had risen to his cheeks. If there was one thing he was glad he had gotten from Jango Fett, it was his tan skin, since his blush did not show through. “I regret telling you this now.”

“Too late.” Hardcase sat thoughtfully. “Does this mean Jesse and Kix are the only straight ones in our family?”

“Have you asked them?”

Hardcase paused, and then scrambled to get up. “Jesse!” he yelled as he ran up the stairs.

Rex groaned and followed. “Seriously, ‘Case?”

Though Hardcase’s interrogation of Jesse and Kix proved fruitless, the tone of the evening was considerably lighter after Rex and Hardcase’s conversation. A little later, the brothers used Obi-Wan’s gift card to enjoy pizza while they watched a movie. It was a much needed distraction from the anxiety of waiting on the next call. As it crept past midnight and Rex’s phone stayed stubbornly silent, Rex decided to call it. 

“I’m going to bed.” Rex rubbed his eyes and checked his messages just to be sure. There was a text from Ahsoka and a missed call from Obi-Wan, but nothing else. “Dr. Nema should call tomorrow with an update on Fives. Hopefully Echo will be awake by then.”

Hardcase was already snoring on the couch, but Jesse and Kix managed to make it to their beds before passing out. Rex stumbled to his room and shucked his pants before crawling into bed. The entire day had been emotionally draining, and putting on pajamas was a formality he wasn’t in the mood for. 

That night, without the nearly unbearable warmth of his brothers squished in around him, Rex’s sleep was intermittent and restless. He tossed and turned in frustration, trying to find the most comfortable position to sleep in, before finally giving up and sliding out of bed. Opening his window, Rex stuck his head out and looked at the stars winking against the inky black sky above him. The peaceful stillness of the night always had a way of calming him when nothing else could. 

Rex sat by his window for several long minutes, letting the cool night air wash over his skin and calm his nerves. He could only hope that the next day would bring more good news than this one did, though Echo and Fives’ fates were still uncertain. Rex wasn’t taking anything for granted anymore. Life had already proved to him that he had no idea what the hell was going to happen at any given moment. 

A loud, high-pitched noise broke through Rex’s thoughts, startling him enough to turn away from the window. It took a moment for his lethargic brain to process the sound, but when he did, Rex dove across his bed and snatched up his phone. Shaky fingers answered it and held it up to his ear. 

“Dr. Nema?” 

“Mr. Fett. I apologize; I know it’s very early where you are, but I thought you would want me to call immediately. There’s someone here who wants to talk to you.” There was quiet rustling, and then a voice. 

“Rex?” 

“Echo,” Rex choked out, falling back against the pillow on his bed. He wasn’t entirely convinced this wasn’t a dream, but even if it was, it was the best dream he’d had in a long time. “Are you okay? How do you feel?” 

“Really shitty,” Echo mumbled. His words were slurred and he had to speak slowly, but it was still him. He sounded similar enough to Fives that it made Rex’s stomach clench.

“They said you wouldn’t be awake for a few more days. Your surgery…” Rex faltered. 

“Yeah.” Echo sighed heavily. “I’m only half the man I used to be, big brother.” 

Rex sat in shocked silence for a moment as he listened to Echo’s quiet chuckle. “You aren’t upset?” 

“I’m fucking terrified, Rex,” Echo responded, voice shaky. “Can’t think about it too much. They got a blanket over my legs. Haven’t seen ‘em yet. What’s left, anyway.”

“Fuck,” Rex muttered. “Echo, I’m so sorry about what happened to you.”

“Let’s not talk about that,” Echo deflected quickly. “How’s Fives? Haven’t seen him yet.”

“He’s… stable,” Rex said. “He had some kind of head injury that caused a stroke.”

“But he’s okay, right?” Rex could hear the worry in Echo’s voice even through the phone. 

“Yeah. For the most part,” Rex assured him. “It’s his speech. They’re still running tests on him.”

“They won’t let me see him yet,” Echo murmured. “Tell ‘em to let me see him.”

“I will, Echo,” Rex said softly. “Oh, shit. Sorry. I have to get the others.” He clambered out of bed and knocked loudly on the boys’ bedroom door before opening it up. “Get up, it’s Echo.” He turned on the light, knowing that would wake them up if nothing else could. At some point, Hardcase had migrated from the couch to his bed, and he groaned loudly at the sudden burst of light and sound.

“What the hell?”

“It’s Echo,” Rex stressed, placing the phone on speaker and holding it out. 

“Hey,” Echo called faintly. Hardcase’s eyes snapped open, and he, Jesse, and Kix rushed the phone at the same moment. 

“Echo!” Jesse yelled, scrubbing the sleep from his eyes. “How are you? Are you okay? Is your infection gone?”

“Jess.” Echo laughed a little. “You’re really damn loud.”

“Oh,” Jesse said sheepishly. “Sorry.”

“S’okay. I wanted to talk to you guys.” Echo cursed softly. “Hold on.” The brothers leaned in, listening to him argue with someone out of the phone’s range. “I just got on the phone. I’m fine. ‘S my brothers. Can I talk to my damn brothers for a minute? Alright, alright.” Echo’s voice came back at full volume again. “They’re giving me some kinda meds. I dunno. I’m pretty drugged up. Tired. I can’t stay on.”

“Can you call again later?”

“Dunno. Hope so,” Echo said. “I’m okay, Rex. I’m okay.” Even in his dazed state, he could still pick up on Rex’s fear and concern. Rex swallowed his guilt and tried to sound cheerful again. 

“Okay, Echo. I know you have to go.”

“‘Kay. Talk later,” Echo managed to get out before the phone was commandeered by Dr. Nema again. 

“Echo’s very fatigued right now, Mr. Fett. He should be able to call you again soon.”

“I understand.” It hurt that they couldn’t hold a conversation for even five minutes, but just hearing Echo’s voice and knowing he could talk eased Rex’s nerves. “What about Fives? Any news?”

“Yes, I wanted to speak with you about his condition,” Dr. Nema said. “After consulting with several neurologists, our tests have confirmed that the head injury and subsequent stroke affected an area of Fives’ frontal lobe known as Broca’s area. It controls speech production, which is why Fives was having trouble producing the words even though he could think clearly and understand you. The neurological disorder is known as Broca’s aphasia, or simply aphasia.”

Rex took a few seconds to process what she was saying. “Is this damage permanent?” 

“It’s difficult to say. Some patients start seeing significant improvements within a few weeks, and they may gain back nearly all of their speech production ability eventually,” Dr. Nema explained. “Some improve very little, even with therapy. We’ll begin speech therapy sessions with Fives as soon as possible. Hopefully, we’ll start to see progress in the next few weeks.”

“Weeks?” Rex frowned. “When will Fives get to come home?”

“We’re still monitoring his condition, but he should be stable enough to return to the United States soon.” Dr. Nema paused. “We’ve explained this to him, but he’s adamant that he does not want to return without your brother Echo. It’s possible that Echo may have to remain here for a month or more. We believe it would be more beneficial for Fives to return to the United States so he has access to facilities that can address his specific needs, but he was quite against that idea.”

Rex rubbed at his temples. “I’ll talk to him. Will we be able to talk to Echo tomorrow? Or… later today, I guess?”

“Most likely, yes. He’s resting right now. He will be allowed to call you as soon as he can,” Dr. Nema said. “It’s important that he let his body heal right now. He’s been through a significant trauma.

“Yeah. Okay. Thank you.” Rex slowly sat down on Hardcase’s bed, and his brothers piled in around him. 

“Echo sounded… good,” Jesse said hopefully. 

“He did.” Rex closed his eyes and rested his head in his hands. “He’s okay.” His shoulders slumped, and the weight of the day fell onto his body, heavier than the fatigue that had settled into his bones. 

“Hey, Rex.” Kix took his phone from him and plugged it into the wall charger behind his bed. “C’mon. You need to rest.”

Rex started to wave him off. “‘Kix--”

“Just take my bed. I’ll take the top bunk. Jesse and Kix are already sharing the bottom,” Hardcase said, standing up to turn off the light. “One of us will hear if the phone rings.”

“Who’s supposed to be the big brother here?” Rex grumbled, but frankly, he was too tired to argue. His eyes were already drooping. He had barely slept in the last 48 hours, and it was finally catching up to him. Though he was well-practiced at pushing himself to his physical limits to take care of others, eventually, his body started to give up.

“Older doesn’t always mean wiser, big guy,” Jesse said, tossing a blanket over Rex. 

“The way I see it, experience outranks everything,” Rex grumbled defiantly, finally letting his eyes flutter shut as he settled into the warmth of Hardcase’s bed. Distantly, he was aware that something with soft fur and a frayed ribbon was tucked against his side, but he was slipping too far into sleep to acknowledge Hardcase’s silent gift. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this chapter done! I've been holding in the fact that Rex is bisexual for eighteen chapters. It finally got to come out... heh. (Also, for the record, Saw is definitely pansexual.) Jango is the only straight Fett, and that's a fact. 
> 
> I have a writing Tumblr now! Come yell about TCW with me (same username, blueflower51)


	19. Chapter 19

Rex sat on the edge of his bed, phone cradled between his hands, head bowed in shame for what he was about to do. Never had he thought he would find himself here, even in the midst of the insanity that had been the past week, but the desperate times they had fallen upon warranted the most desperate measures. It was the logical thing to do. It was the smart thing to do. It was what Rex had to do if he wanted to keep his family together. It was also quite possibly the hardest decision he’d had to make since he had taken guardianship of his brothers. 

Stuffing all his pride into a deep, dark hole within his heart, Rex dialed Jango’s number. 

His father picked up on the third ring. His voice was tired, as if he had just woken up, and maybe he had. Rex was calling him before work, so it was still early in the morning. His brothers were fast asleep in their beds. 

“Hello?”

“It’s Rex.”

“Rex,” Jango said in surprise. “I’m glad you decided to call.”

“We need to talk.” The words left a bitter taste on Rex’s tongue. “I have time after work.”

“Yes, of course. You can come over--” Jango started. 

“We’ll meet at the cafe across from the 212th Street Bar & Grill,” Rex interrupted. “You know it?”

“Yes, I do.”

“Good. 5PM,” Rex said. “I’ll be there.”

“I look forward to seeing you.”

“Goodbye, Dad.” Rex exhaled shakily and tossed his phone on the bed. It was done. No going back now. 

With the exception of the time surrounding his mother’s death, the past week had been the most intense whirlwind of emotional stress Rex had ever experienced. Though Fives and Echo were both technically stable, every phone call, text, and update heightened Rex’s already elevated anxiety levels. He hadn’t been sleeping, not really, instead surviving on coffee and the occasional baked goods that Obi-Wan kept dropping off for them. All things considered, Rex was holding it together fairly well for his brothers. It was much easier when his only goal was to make it through the next day, and then the next, and then the next. It was inevitable that his bubble would burst eventually, and it came when Rex decided to return back to work. 

Heading back into the real world after the irreparable, life-changing events of that week was like a head-on collision with a bullet train. Now that they were confident Fives and Echo would recover, the logistics of their return became the greater issue. The timeline was still uncertain, but it would be within the next month. Their brothers were all they had, so they had no choice but to come live with them. That was when the problems started. For one, a two bedroom apartment for four people was already stretching it. Six would be unthinkable. Echo would need special accommodations that their current complex simply couldn’t provide. 

The other issue was that their apartment was on the second level, which presented another problem for Echo. He wouldn’t be walking anytime soon, but if he were to use a wheelchair, it would be impossible for him to enter the apartment by himself. The only viable solution was to find another apartment, which left Rex with the problem he was currently facing: money. 

Not only would he need to buy out his current lease, but he would need to put down a deposit on the new place as well as pay the first month’s rent. After scouting out the options, Rex discovered that the cheapest place that would work for them would be nearly double the rent he was currently paying. Quick mental math told Rex they would be able to scrape by with the addition of the disability checks Fives and Echo would get, but there was still the issue of the initial payments. Summing up his assets, Rex determined that he had exactly five hundred thirteen dollars and eighty-two cents in his savings account, one hundred thirty-one dollars and fifty-nine cents in his checking account, a twenty and a crumpled up five dollar bill in his wallet, and about two dollars worth of loose change in a cup on top of the fridge. 

That simply wouldn’t cut it. 

Rex would have to borrow money. There was no way he could get around it. The options were slim. There was Anakin, his boss, who was already paying him a generous salary and had gifted him an extremely expensive birthday present out of nothing but the kindness of his heart. There was Obi-Wan, whom Rex already could never repay, since he was the one who had landed Rex the job in the first place and had supplemented some of his payments in the past when he was having money troubles. He had never asked for a cent back. The idea of shaking him down for money made Rex’s skin crawl. 

Then there was Ahsoka. Borrowing money from his girlfriend made Rex feel like a freeloader and a creep. Though she would jump at the chance to help him, Rex couldn’t bear the thought of being indebted to her. The last option was Saw, and Rex was certain he wouldn’t have the money to help even if he wanted to. Most of Saw’s money went to the liquor store down the street. They often joked that Saw should buy the corner shop since he was the one single handedly keeping it in business. 

Lying awake one night, a final option popped into Rex’s head. Jango’s offer from months ago had been pushed aside when he mentally cut him off from his life, but now it floated back to him, blackened and tempting. As far as Rex knew, Jango was fairly well off, and he had the resources to pay Rex what he needed and get him back on his feet. Rex had little doubt that he would be willing to help. He had been begging for a way back into his sons’ lives ever since they had turned their back on him. Rex had blocked him at every opportunity, but it wasn’t just about him anymore. It was about Fives and Echo. 

Rex had always done what was necessary for his brothers at his own sacrifice. He had wrung himself dry. He sacrificed his childhood, his time, his energy, and his mental health for them. His past, present, and future was them. That was the choice he had made and continued to make. 

So Rex picked up the phone. 

Now, sitting at the table in the cafe on 212th street, the doubts bubbling in Rex’s stomach had grown into a full-blown gasping chasm of apprehension in his chest. Only his grim determination to do right by his brothers kept his butt glued to the seat. Jango was his last resort. He was all Rex had, however painful it was to admit it. 

Every time Rex saw Jango, he was struck by how old he looked. Cody was closer to Rex’s mental image of what his father had looked like. This Jango had a wrinkled face and gray hair. His hands were leathery and tired from working. His physical appearance spoke of a past that Rex did not know, nor would he ever know, since Jango had grown old away from him. 

“Rex.” Jango slid into the seat across from him. “It’s really good to see you. I’m glad you changed your mind about calling. How are you?” 

Rex fiddled with the coffee cup in front of him. He hadn’t drank a sip, but it gave him something to do with his anxious hands. “I’m fine.” 

“And the other boys?”

“That’s why I called.” Rex forced himself to look his father in the eyes. “I told you Echo and Fives were deployed.” 

“Yes. Marines, right?” Jango smiled proudly, and Rex hated him for that. He didn’t have a right to be proud of their accomplishments when he hadn’t contributed to their lives in any significant way. Rex was the one who’d had to send them off to war. Not Jango. 

“There was an accident.” Rex recalled everything as factually as he could. “Fives sustained head trauma. He had a stroke that led to some brain damage. Echo lost his right arm and both of his legs.” 

Jango stared at Rex, his face the perfect image of horror and shock. “When did this happen?” 

“About a week ago.”

“And you didn’t call.” Jango’s mouth twisted. “I should know if something like that happens to my sons.” 

A barrage of insults and accusations crawled their way up Rex’s throat, but he swallowed them back down. He had to play nice, at least for now. “We’re talking now.” 

Jango tapped his fingers on the table. “So I suppose that means you need something,” he said after a moment. “I’m embarrassed to say I actually thought you called because you wanted to see me.” 

Rex didn’t have it in him to feel guilty. “Yes, I do need something.” He cleared his throat. “Money.” 

“Money.” Jango nodded slowly. “That’s what this is about? Money?”

“Yes,” Rex gritted out. “I wouldn’t be here if I had other options. You’re the one who offered.” 

“Back when I thought we had a chance at a relationship,” Jango replied. “Do you just expect me to hand you a check and allow you to run off again? Without so much of an acknowledgement of how much you hurt me?” 

“I hurt you?” Rex couldn’t help it. His eyes nearly popped out of his head at Jango’s absolute brazen gall. “I wasn’t the one who left! You did that. I was a child.”

“You’re not a child anymore.” Jango folded his arms over his chest. “You decided to turn your back on me even when I offered to make amends. You make me out to be some villain, Rex, when the truth is much more complicated.”

“Yeah, I heard your excuses.” Rex shoved away from the table and stood up. “I’m leaving. This isn’t worth it.” 

“Rex,” Jango snapped. “Stop acting like a brat. Sit down.” 

“That may have worked on me when I was nine, but not anymore,” Rex seethed, bending down to shove his face into Jango’s. “I can choose to cut you out of my life if I want to.” 

Jango narrowed his eyes. “You can’t have it both ways. You can’t cut me off and still ask for money. Sit down, Rex.” 

Rex was clenching his fists so hard his hands shook, but he slowly forced his legs to move back to his seat. He was blowing Fives and Echo’s only chance. There was still the possibility that Jango would come through. “So what? What do you want from me?” 

“A chance,” Jango said. “If I give you this money, I want you to acknowledge that I am your father. I want to be in your life. And the boys’ lives. You’ve hardly given me the opportunity to make up for the mistakes I’ve made. I don’t think that’s fair.” 

“As if you get to decide what’s fair,” Rex spat, running his hands over his stubbly hair. “I need three thousand.” 

Jango exhaled and reached into his pocket. “I’m trusting you on your word. And hoping you’ll consider reason.” From inside his wallet, he pulled out a small bundle of checks. Taking one out, Jango neatly filled it out with the waitress’s pen on the table, and then slid it across to Rex. He kept his hand on it even when Rex tried to take it. “This money is a promise. You can’t keep turning your back on me. Not now.”

“Fine.” Rex snatched it up. “I wouldn’t do this if I had another choice.” 

“I know. You already made that clear.” Jango stood up. “I still have hope that you’ll come around someday, son.” Rex bit down on his tongue so hard he tasted blood in an effort not to contradict him. Jango was already retreating, not giving him the opportunity. 

Rex stared at the check in his hands as Jango left. His hands trembled slightly as he tucked it away in his wallet. Blood money. He was bought and paid for. And he couldn’t do a damn thing about it. 

***

_Cody: We need to talk._

It was the kind of text most people would dread reading, but for Rex, it was especially anxiety-inducing. He had yet to have a positive conversation with Cody. By the tone of his text, he wasn’t contacting him just for a chat. 

Rex was at work, so he waited until he sat down on his lunch break to respond. He was curious enough to want to know why Cody was texting him, but he still dreaded the answer. 

_R: Why?_

_Cody: Come over after work._

_Cody: Please._

Part of Rex was tempted to leave him hanging, and the other part felt guilty for that thought. Cody wasn’t a bad person. Rex had his own issues to deal with, and they inevitably manifested in misplaced anger at his innocent half-brother. Time and time again, Cody had shown that he had Rex’s back. It was the least Rex could do to humor him. 

_R: Address?_

As it turned out, Cody didn’t live far from him, and that was just another sucker punch to the gut. Rex had lived in his shitty, cramped apartment with his brothers for nearly two years, and he hadn’t known about Jango, Cody, or Boba the entire time. Boba went to school with Kix and Jesse. Cody lived ten minutes away, and he worked in a bar that served Rex’s favorite burgers. Each realization was another hit to Rex’s ego, and it left him feeling cold, empty, and utterly naive. 

When Cody answered the door, he wasn’t quite quick enough to cover the surprise in his eyes. It figured that he hadn’t expected Rex to actually show up. “What do you need?” Rex asked, pushing past Cody into his apartment. Right down to business. Every time Cody got too close, he cut himself on Rex’s jaded edges. 

Cody gestured towards the couch. “You want a beer?” He headed towards the kitchen and got one for himself. 

Rex quirked one eyebrow up and sat. “I’m still 20. Thought bartenders weren’t supposed to serve underage.”

“I’m not at work.” Cody popped the top and handed Rex a beer before he sat down. Rex took a sip and mentally noted that if he wanted to get alcohol, he should think about hitting up Cody next time. The brand of beer he bought was nectar of the gods compared to the piss Saw favored. 

“So you just asked me over for a drink?”

“I didn’t say that.” Cody let out a heavy sigh. Rex knew he was being difficult, but stubbornness was in his DNA. “I heard about what happened to your brothers. I’m sorry.”

Rex bristled. It wasn’t a topic he enjoyed thinking about or discussing. “They’ll be home soon. That’s what matters.”

Cody nodded and picked at the label on his beer bottle. “How are your other brothers?”

“Good as they can be,” Rex replied. “How’s… Boba?” It was confident coming out, but the question fell flat at the end. Making small talk with Cody over a beer felt unnatural, and maybe that was because it should have been natural. They were brothers, after all. They shared DNA. That was about all they shared with each other. 

“He got suspended from school,” Cody said, smiling slightly. “So about the same. I’m surprised Kix didn’t tell you. I guess they aren’t running in the same crowds anymore.”

“Guess not,” Rex said. “Dare I ask what he got suspended for?”

“It’s not as egregious as you might think,” Cody said, taking another drink of his beer. “He mouthed off to a teacher one too many times. He’s got an awful mouth on him and he doesn’t like authority figures. Not a good mix.”

“He sounds like Jesse,” Rex said without thinking. “He got detention for calling his teacher a bitch once.”

Cody snorted. “Was she being a bitch?”

“Yeah. She wouldn’t let him go take a piss.” 

Rex and Cody shared a quiet chuckle, and Rex felt himself relax a fraction. He hated Cody, just a little, for how good of a guy he really was. 

“So what did you need to talk to me so urgently about?”

Cody leaned back and set his beer on his side table. He turned to face Rex better, laying his arm across the back of his old leather couch. “Why did you ask Dad for money?”

Rex stiffened and stared into the top of his bottle. “How did you find out about that?”

“He told me. We talk,” Cody said bluntly. “Why would you go to him and not me?”

“Why would I go to you at all? We’re not even friends,” Rex said, though he regretted his words when they made Cody flinch. “Look, you don’t have the kind of money I need. So it would’ve been useless for me to come to you.”

“How much do you need?” Cody asked.

Rex exhaled. “At least three thousand. I have to buy out my current lease, and I need to be able to make a deposit and first month’s rent on the new place. Plus it’ll require modifications for Echo and I can’t afford all that. I just… can’t,” he gritted out. His Fett pride burned in him at the thought of needing help, but he had already stooped low enough to beg Jango for money, so there wasn’t much further to go unless he wanted to pick up a shovel and dig. 

Cody sat back, quietly contemplative. “I can get you two thousand now. I’ll get you the other thousand in a couple weeks.”

Rex’s brows furrowed as he looked at Cody. “How do you have that kind of money?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Cody said. “You said it yourself. Jango’s money comes with strings attached. That’s what he told you, isn’t it?”

“He wants to be back in our lives. My life.” Rex took a long drink of his beer. “He abandons us for over ten years and now that he doesn’t have to take responsibility for us, he wants to be back in our lives. Fuckin’ ironic, or something like that.”

“I don’t want that for you.” Cody shook his head. “I’ve been trapped in this… hell with him ever since he waltzed back into my life, and I don’t want that for you. So take my damn money, Rex. Pay me back when you can. No interest, I don’t care.” 

“Just like that?” Rex regarded him suspiciously. 

“Just like that.” 

“I don’t want to owe you.” 

“Don’t think of it as a debt. Just a brother helping you out.” Cody continued before Rex could cut in. “I know. I know you hate me, Rex. This isn’t me trying to force you to be my friend or my brother or my family. I know you don’t consider me to be your brother.” 

Rex couldn’t believe he was actually about to contradict Cody’s cynicism, but the better half of him was winning. “I don’t hate you. Maybe the idea of you. But you're actually a really good guy. Which sucks, because if you were an asshole, you’d be a lot easier to hate.” He cracked a small smile. 

Cody laughed softly at that. “I guess so. I like you, Rex. I wish we’d met under better circumstances.”

“Me too,” Rex agreed, and damn if that wasn’t the first positive conversation he’d had with his half-brother. He looked at Cody, searching his face for any clues of an ulterior motive, but there was none. It was just Cody. Good, honest Cody, who loved his little brother fiercely despite his flaws. Rex knew a guy like that too. “Can I ask you something?” 

“What?” Cody glanced in Rex’s direction, and when he scrunched up his face, the scar over his left eye bunched and puckered. 

“How’d you get that scar?” 

“Makes me look badass, huh?” Cody touched the edge of it gently, and his eyes suddenly went sad. “After Dad left, my mother had a string of boyfriends who only wanted to use her for sex and money. She was pretty depressed back then and she turned to alcohol and men to help her feel better. Her boyfriends usually ignored me, and I learned to keep out of their way. This one asshole hated me for no reason. All I remember was that I was crying, probably because he yelled at me. He was most likely drunk. He hit me, and I fell. What I remember the most is the pain I felt when he grabbed me by the hair and hauled me up. He slammed my face into the kitchen counter. There was blood everywhere. I know I was screaming. I was probably… five? Or six? He left after that, but the scar’s still here. Sorry if that wasn’t the badass story you were hoping for.”

The pain in Cody’s voice was so visceral that Rex could almost see the scene in front of him. He could see the crying boy and the blood, and feel the pain of the abuse, the same pain he had kept locked inside of him for so long. “I’m sorry that happened to you.” 

“It was a long time ago,” Cody said. “Jango isn’t the best father, but he never hit me or Boba.”

“So what, he gets a medal for not abusing his children?” Rex asked bitterly. “You wouldn’t have been in that situation if it wasn’t for him.” 

Cody shrugged. “I think I have a lot less to complain about than you do.” 

“Maybe.” Rex drained his beer bottle and set it aside. “We wouldn’t have gone to foster homes if it wasn’t for him.” 

Guilt flashed across Cody’s face. “I know that wasn’t a good experience for you.” 

“You feel guilty about us going into the homes?” Rex nearly laughed at that. “I wouldn’t say you had it good.” 

“Like I said. He never hit me.” 

Rex sobered a bit at that. “Just because he didn’t hit you doesn’t mean he was a good father. Trust me, I…” He faltered. “I know what it feels like. It still felt a hell of a lot worse when he walked out on us.” Cody opened his mouth, but Rex waved him off. “Before you say I’m sorry, it was a long time ago. So just… save it.” 

“Then I’ll just say… you didn’t deserve that,” Cody said. “You were a kid.” 

“You didn’t deserve it either.” Rex rubbed at his shoulder, feeling the smooth ridges of cigarette burns underneath his fingertips. 

Cody stood, grabbing their beer bottles to throw away. “I’ll get you cash. I can give you some tomorrow, or the whole thing in two weeks.” 

“Later is fine.” Rex got up too, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Listen, Cody--”

“Hold on. I will ask one thing of you before you accept my money.” Cody tossed the bottles and came back. He held out his arm to Rex, and Rex nearly rolled his eyes when he realized what he wanted. “Seriously?” 

“Seriously.” 

Rex stepped into Cody’s space, and suddenly he found himself wrapped up in two beefy, loving arms. He sighed, forcing himself to give into the hug, and tucked his chin on Cody’s shoulder as he embraced him. One of Cody’s hands came up to cup the back of his neck. 

“You are my brother, Rex,” Cody murmured in his ear. “I care about you. Even if you dislike me, I’ll still care. Let me help you. Let me do this for you.” 

When Rex pulled back, he was surprised to realize his eyes were wet. He quickly blinked away the moisture. “I’ll pay you back.” 

“No rush.” Cody walked him to the door. “You have a ride home?” 

Rex brushed off his concern. “It’s a ten minute walk. I’m fine.” 

“Alright.” Cody reached out and squeezed Rex’s shoulder. “Take care of yourself, Rex.” 

Rex paused on his doorstep and nodded. “You too, Cody.” 

Later that evening, when Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase were watching TV in the living room, Rex snuck into their room and found the lighter Kix used for burning candles. He took the check Jango gave him and lit it up, watching it crumble into ash right before his eyes. Rex didn’t need Jango. He had his older brother watching his six. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't think I'm going to use this for any significant plotlines, so in case anybody is wondering, Cody got the money from betting and gambling (he works at a sports bar). 
> 
> Writing Tumblr: captaindominoes


	20. Chapter 20

“Rex, get over here! They’re calling!”

Rex had been bustling around the kitchen, cleaning up after breakfast. While it was morning in the United States, it was midday where Echo and Fives were. They had gotten into a routine in the last several weeks. Fives had speech therapy in the morning, and Echo had started light physical therapy, so they typically set up a video call for just after lunch. Fives and Echo had a tandem room now, so it was easy to talk to both of them at once. When Rex heard Jesse yell from the living room, he quickly finished rinsing the last cup and then hurried to join his brothers on the couch. 

Fives and Echo were already on screen when Rex sat down. They were crammed up in Echo’s hospital bed together. According to the nurses, they spent most of their time sitting together, watching TV together, or napping together. That was unsurprising. The twins had been close before their deployment, and Rex couldn’t imagine how much they had gone through together since. 

“Hey. How are you?” Rex started, and Echo was the one to respond. He did most of the talking for the pair of them, but if Fives really wanted to talk, he would. Although Fives’ speech was still slow and disjointed, he was improving every day. He was simply too stubborn to give up. 

“Good. We have news, actually.”

“News? Good news?” Rex asked, leaning forward.

Echo exchanged a glance with Fives. “Do you wanna tell them?” Fives nodded eagerly and beamed. 

“Doctors… said…. home. Next week. Me and Echo.” 

Rex had gotten used to Fives’ awkward speech, so it was easy for him to put the pieces together. “The doctors said you can come home next week?” 

“Wait, are you serious?” Kix’s eyes lit up, and Jesse and Hardcase grinned at each other. Rex was speechless. He knew the twins were making good progress, but he had expected they would stay overseas for much longer. 

“That’s… fantastic news,” Rex managed to get out. “So you’re coming back here?”

Fives nodded. “Home,” he said simply. It was what they had been looking forward to for so long. It was all they wanted. Fives and Echo, home. Rex could barely process it. 

“You’re flying back?”

“Yeah, they’re paying for us to fly back. There’s a facility about an hour away from the apartment that will take care of my physical therapy,” Echo explained. “And Fives’ speech therapy.”

“I know it, actually,” Rex said, and elaborated when Echo gave him a confused look. “I’ll have to ask Saw, but I’m pretty sure that’s the place he went to when he came back. The new apartment is actually a little closer.”

Echo frowned. “Uh… what new apartment?”

Rex rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn’t told them since he hadn’t wanted them to worry about his money troubles or think they were a burden, but it was unavoidable now. “I signed a lease on a new apartment. We’re moving in a few days. It was going to be a surprise. It’s a bigger place, it’s accessible, and it’s in a better location.”

Fives squinted at Rex. “Money?” 

“We’ll be fine,” Rex said vaguely. “Money’s not an issue. Oh, also.” He looked at Hardcase. 

Hardcase perked up. “I got a job!”

Echo and Fives both laughed. “Wow, so you’re finally pulling your weight, huh?” Echo teased. 

“Ha, ha. I am, for your information,” Hardcase said. “And Rex is teaching me to drive. He got a driver’s license. So he’s not breaking the law anymore.”

Echo snorted. “You were driving without a license?”

“I had a permit,” Rex defended. “I was a perfectly safe driver.”

“Tell that to the squirrel you ran over last week,” Jesse muttered. Rex ignored him. 

“I’ll talk to Anakin about rearranging my work schedule so I can drive you both to therapy.”

Echo shook his head. “Rex, no, you shouldn’t have to--”

Rex cut in. “You’re my brothers. I’m going to take care of you. Besides, we can’t afford for you to take an Uber everyday, and it would be a lot harder for you to take the bus.” 

Echo worked his jaw a moment, rolling the idea around in his head, and finally relented. “We’ll talk about it when we get home.”

Rex stared him down through the screen, and Echo stared right back. Their stubborn Fett genes did not allow for either of them back down. “Fine. You’ll like the new place. It’s a three bedroom, three bath. I figured you and Fives could take one room, I’ll take one, and the boys will take the other.”

Hardcase groaned loudly. “We’re moving into a bigger place and I still have to share with those idiots?”

“You’re the messy one!” Kix countered. “You leave your laundry everywhere!”

“I do not!” Hardcase argued. “That’s Jesse. I keep all of my shit on my side of the room.”

Jesse shrugged and flopped back. “Yeah, it’s probably me.”

Hardcase leaned his head on Rex’s shoulder and fixed him with the saddest puppy dog eyes he could muster. “Can’t we share? You said all the rooms are the same size. You don’t have an excuse for not sharing anymore.”

Rex sighed and pushed him off. “We’ll talk about it. The important thing is that it’s accessible for Echo. We’ll still have to make some adjustments for the bathroom, but it should be ready by the time you get here. We’re moving over the weekend. Obi-Wan and Ahsoka are helping us.”

Fives hit Echo on the shoulder, his signal that he wanted to talk, and butted in. “Ahsoka. Ring? When?” He wiggled his eyebrows and pointed to his own ring finger. 

“We’re definitely not there, Fives,” Rex said before his brothers could get any ideas. “Besides, she deserves a real ring, and right now all I could afford is a cheap band from the discount section of Wal-Mart."

Fives smiled smugly. “Marriage. Soon,” he said confidently. “Ahsoka… beautiful.” He winked. 

Rex rolled his eyes. “You tried flirting with her before you even left. It didn’t work then, and your injured Marine routine isn’t going to work now.”

Fives made an offended noise and dramatically clutched his chest. “Need… help…” He groaned, flopping back against Echo. 

Echo chuckled softly and nudged Fives off of him. “He’s saying he’s going to manipulate her by asking for her help. Apparently his flirting wasn’t affected by the injury. Maybe I should hit him in the head again.” Fives pouted and slumped back. 

“Mean.”

Rex watched the two of them interacting, a smile on his face. It was good to hear Echo laugh. That was rare these days. The only one who could pull it out of him was Fives. “Let me know when you get the details of your flight so we can be at the airport to pick you up.”

“I will. Thank you.” Echo shifted and winced. “Fives, get off. Ow.”

Fives immediately scooted away, eyes sad. He sometimes forgot he still had to be gentle with Echo while he healed. “Okay?”

“Yeah.” Echo rolled his shoulders, a grimace on his face. Rex tried not to stare at his right arm, but inevitably, his eyes drifted over. Past his bicep, there was just nothing. The doctors hadn’t even had the opportunity to try to save it. It had been taken in the explosion, just like most of his right leg. He only had about six inches of thigh from what the doctors had told Rex. Echo’s legs were always covered by a blanket, so Rex had no idea what he really looked like. It was sure to be jarring the first time they saw him. There wasn’t a way to mentally prepare for seeing such a trauma, not really, but Rex was determined not to make it a big deal if Echo didn’t want to. 

Jesse, who always sought to lift the mood when shit started getting depressing, started talking again. “So Fives, when are you going to shave that shit off your face?”

Fives stuck his tongue out. “Never.” He had started growing some kind of janky goatee, and Rex had to admit, it looked pretty ugly. 

“That’s not the worst of it. Fives wants to get a face tattoo,” Echo added, and Fives lightly hit him on his good shoulder. 

“Later! Maybe.”

Hardcase’s expression turned sinister like it always did when he had an idea Rex wouldn’t like. “If Fives gets a face tattoo, I want a face tattoo. I already know what I want.”

“No,” Rex said immediately. “One is enough. You can’t cover a face tattoo.”

“Wait.” Echo scrunched up his face. “One? One what, tattoo? Where?”

Before Rex could stop him, Hardcase got up and ripped his shirt off. The geometric pattern on his chest did look nice, but Rex was still a bit miffed he had gotten it without asking first. “Rex has a tattoo too!”

Fives’ jaw dropped open in shock. “Show!” he demanded. 

Rex massaged his temples. “I would have to take my pants off to show you.” Fives grinned in delight and started excitedly nudging Echo.

“He thinks you have an ass tattoo,” Echo filled in, amused. 

“It’s not a-- fine.” Rex got up and rolled down the waistband of his pants and boxers so they could see the date inked into his hip. “It’s the date I signed the guardianship papers.” Fives was visibly disappointed, but Rex brushed them off. 

“Fives is allowed to get a face tattoo if he wants to because he’s an adult. Uh-uh. You’re not an adult, Hardcase,” Rex said before he could argue.

“Listen to Rex, ‘Case,” Echo said softly, smiling a little at his older brother. “Hey, listen. We’ll call you again tomorrow. Same time.” 

Rex could see the tired drop of Echo’s eyes. Talking always drained him. “Alright, Echo. I’m really glad you’re coming home.” 

“Me too.” 

Fives leaned further into the frame and waved enthusiastically at them. Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase did the same, crowding around Rex until they finally closed the laptop lid. Rex sat back and stretched his arms out, throwing them around his brothers. 

“Well?” Rex looked around at each of them, finally allowing his body to relax. “Fives and Echo are coming home.” 

Hardcase leaned back against Rex’s shoulder. “I’m still serious about the bedroom, by the way.” 

“I know you are, ‘Case.” 

Maybe Rex could find it in himself to share a bedroom with Hardcase now that he would actually be contributing to the rent. Hardcase knew full well how to take advantage of Rex when he was in a good mood, but Rex found that he didn’t mind the manipulation this time. Fives and Echo were coming home. That was all that mattered. 

***

The airport was bustling with people when the brothers arrived, a week later, to finally pick up the twins. There were hundreds of different souls, all wandering in different directions, all for a different purpose, but there were only two Rex really cared about. As Rex waded through the crowd, Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase trailing behind him, he caught sight of himself in one of the gift shop windows. In that moment, he was struck with how old he looked, and how much Echo and Fives were sure to have grown. Just a month prior, he had looked upon Jango as a stranger, wondering when his father had aged without him. He hadn’t noticed himself growing into a man at the same time. 

“This is the one!” Kix tugged on Rex’s shirt to get his attention, pointing at the gate across from them. “Has Echo texted you yet?”

Rex checked his phone. “He said they’re about to land. So we still have at least half an hour.”

Jesse ran over to a nearby restaurant and pressed his face up to the glass. “Rex, can we get something to eat? I’m starving!”

Rex sighed and pulled a twenty out of his wallet. “Kix, ‘Case, you want anything?” 

Hardcase snatched the bill out of Rex’s hand and started towards the restaurant. “Thanks!”

Rex leaned against the wall by the restrooms as he waited for his brothers. He could see an influx of people coming out of one of the other gates, but it wasn’t the right one. Anxiously, Rex checked his phone again. Nothing new. He forced himself to put it back into his pocket and wait. 

Jesse, Kix, and Hardcase came out of the restaurant about ten minutes later. Kix and Jesse were sharing cheese fries, while Hardcase was balancing a giant plate of nachos in one hand. Rex quirked an eyebrow when they came over to him. “Where’s my change?”

Hardcase swallowed a chip with a giant glob of cheese and guac in one bite. “It’s an airport, Rex. You didn’t have any change.”

Rex stole a nacho from Hardcase’s tray in retaliation. There was still no sign of Echo and Fives, even half an hour later when the cheese fries and nachos were long gone. The brothers were sprawled out on a line of airport chairs, eyes fixed on the gate they knew the twins would be coming out of. Any minute now. It had been nine long months. Every additional second was excruciating.

It was Kix who saw them first. Rex was so busy checking his phone for updates that he didn’t notice right away, but he heard Kix’s strangled yell. Looking up, Rex saw Kix flying across the airport floor, right into the arms of Fives himself. Rex’s whole body seized with an adrenaline rush, and suddenly he found himself running like he was a teenager too, desperate to hug and touch his brothers to make sure they were actually real. To make sure they were actually alive and they hadn’t died out there like they should have, like they almost did, if it weren’t for some miracle force watching over the Fett brothers that day.

Rex knelt down to hug Echo first, his hand coming up to cradle the back of his brother’s head as they held each other. He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Echo’s face was wet where it pressed against his neck. Despite everything that had changed, it was still Echo. He was home. 

Echo was whispering something to Rex, and Rex pulled back so he could hear what he was saying. “What?”

“I said…” Echo’s hand lingered on Rex’s shoulder, clinging to him. “It’s really good to see you.”

“You too, Echo.” Rex straightened up, and just as he did so, he was enveloped in Fives’ warm, crushing embrace. He groaned softly when Fives squeezed him as a way of greeting. “Fives…” 

“Shh.” Fives patted Rex on the back and squeezed him again. Rex got the message. He let Fives have his moment. 

When they pulled back, Fives was grinning, and he had a light to his eyes that Rex hadn’t seen since the accident. “Home now?” 

“Yeah. We’re going home now. Do you want me to…?” Rex gestured to Echo’s wheelchair, and his brother nodded. 

“Yeah. Go ahead.” 

Rex got behind Echo and pushed him as they headed to the baggage claim. “Are you hungry? Do you want me to stop somewhere before we go home? Or-- there’s food at home, too. Obi-Wan keeps dropping off homemade casseroles and pasta dishes.” 

Echo shook his head. “I think we just want to go home, Rex.” He clutched the backpack in his lap a little tighter. There was a blanket covering his legs. “I guess we get to see the new place.”

Rex stopped to wait by the rolling belt of suitcases and bags. “You’ll like it. Your room just has one queen size bed for now. We can get you two, but…” 

“It’s fine.” Echo glanced at Fives. “It’s probably better. He has to help me.” He cleared his throat. “So what about you guys, huh? How’s school? How’s your job, ‘Case?” 

Hardcase helped Fives haul one of their bags off the belt. “It’s good. All I do is scoop ice cream all day. And I get as much free ice cream as I want.” 

“So it’s been going well for him, but not for the rest of us,” Rex said dryly. 

“Kix got an award in school,” Jesse mentioned, and Kix elbowed him in the stomach.

“I told you not to say anything!” 

Rex looked between them. “What’s this about an award?” 

“It’s a dumb math thing.” 

“Uh, it’s not dumb. Kix got the highest score in our entire school on the end of the year math assessment,” Jesse said. “Pretty sure I got the lowest.” 

“Hey, Kix.” Echo held out his hand for a fist bump. “Good job. That’s impressive. Why didn’t you want to tell?” 

Kix shrugged and returned the fist bump. “We just had more important stuff going on.” A guilty look passed over Echo’s face, and he shrank back. 

“Right.” 

Fives hauled over the rest of the bags and slung one over his shoulder. Hardcase took the other two. “Car?” 

Rex nodded. “C’mon. Let’s get you home.” 

Walking through the front door of their apartment with Fives and Echo felt like taking in the first clear breath after a long battle against suffocation. So long had the weight sat on Rex’s chest that he had hardly noticed it was there near the end, but now that it was gone, its absence was glaring. The wonder in Echo’s eyes and the satisfaction on Fives’ face was enough to make it all worth it. 

Rex wheeled Echo inside and stopped by the couch. “Do you want to sit?” 

“Yeah. Don’t,” Echo said, perhaps a bit too sharply, when Rex stooped down to help him onto the couch. “Let Fives.” 

It stung. Echo had recoiled from his touch like it burned him, and Rex couldn’t deny that it made his joy at their return fizzle just a little. Fives moved the blanket off of Echo’s knees, and for the first time, Rex really saw him. For all that Echo was familiar, this was completely foreign. Echo had never been this helpless before in his life. Rex could see the shame coloring his cheeks as Fives had to pick him up and place him on the couch. He immediately covered Echo back up, and only then did he relax a little. 

“You’re right. I do like this place,” Echo said offhandedly to Rex as Fives folded up his wheelchair. “I like what you did.” He pointed above the TV.

The picture of their mother remained in its place of honor, hanging where they could all see her. She was as beautiful as Rex remembered her to be all those years before, frozen in this snapshot of time, the last living memory of her. Rex’s mind floated to Jango, and his face hardened. There was so much to tell them about their father. The words got stuck in his throat on the way out. 

“You know… Dad…” 

“Later.” Echo leaned back and tore his eyes away from the picture. Fives joined him on the couch, and they all crowded around the twins. “Back together again, huh?” 

“It’s been awhile.” Rex realized with a jolt that the last time they had truly lived together was at Mother Talzin’s home, not counting the month Fives and Echo had slept on their couch before they went off to basic. That felt like a faint memory even if he still wore the proof of her existence on his body. 

“You’re not going to leave again, right?” Jesse joked, but in the moment, it felt flat. 

“No.” Echo reached out blindly, and Fives was there to catch his hand and squeeze for reassurance. “We’re here to stay.” 


	21. Chapter 21

Rex was shoulders-deep into the bowels of a 2008 Honda Accord when he felt his skin catch in one of the delicate mechanical parts. His knee-jerk reaction was to yank his hand away as quickly as possible, which was about the worst thing he could have done in that situation. Blood dripped down his hand as skin was torn away, and Rex shoved back from the car, pacing and cursing. 

“Mother fucking-- Shit! Fucker.”

Ahsoka poked her head out of the back office. “Hey, Rex, you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Rex snapped, cradling his hand against his chest. “It’s just a cut.”

Ahsoka tsked and grabbed the paperwork she needed off the printer. “Right, and that’s why you’re hopping around and bleeding everywhere. Come here.” 

Rex was fuming, but he trudged over to the office anyway. Ahsoka stared him down like he was a naughty child and she was his disappointed mother. 

“Let me see.” Rex slowly placed his hand in hers, and she looked it over. “I’ll get you a bandaid. And while I do that, maybe you can tell me why you’re so upset today.” 

Rex pursed his lips. Damn her for knowing him so well.“I’m just adjusting to Fives and Echo being home, that’s all,” he said after a moment. 

“Do you want a Cars or a Frozen bandaid?” Ahsoka asked suddenly, and Rex blinked at the complete 180. 

“...Cars?” 

“Ironic.” Ahsoka grabbed a Cars bandage out of the box Anakin had at his desk. “Continue.”

“It’s different than I thought it would be. They’re different. I knew they would be, but I thought they’d at least be happy to be home.” Rex watched as Ahsoka wrapped up his finger and gave it a little kiss for good measure. “Echo’s distant. He doesn’t talk much. Fives talks a lot now that he’s starting to improve more at speech therapy, but he refuses to talk about the really important things.

“It’s good news that he’s improving.” Ahsoka walked back out to the main garage with Rex. 

“Yeah. I just wish I knew how to talk to them. Echo won’t let me help out with anything. Fives does everything for him.” Rex stopped at the Accord and picked up his tools again. “It’s like he doesn’t trust me.” 

Saw walked over, wiping his hands on a rag. “Hey, kid, how’s the finger? Does it need to be amputated?” he teased. 

Rex rolled his eyes. “I’m fine. It’s just a little cut.” 

“The way you were yelling, I thought the car had taken your whole hand.” Saw smacked Rex’s shoulder with the rag. “How are your brothers?” 

Rex’s eyes shifted over to Ahsoka. “Oh, they’re… okay. Better now that they’re home.” 

Saw hummed. “It’s not as easy as you thought it would be, huh?” 

“I never thought it would be easy. Maybe not like this.” Rex rubbed the back of his neck. 

“Like what?” 

Rex shifted. “They’re both distant. Echo especially. He won’t let me help him aside from making his food or bringing him a glass of water. Every time I try to talk to him, I feel like there’s a wall between us. It’s the same with Fives.” 

Saw nodded slowly. “It’s only been a few weeks. Give ‘em time. The adjustment doesn’t happen overnight. For me, it took years. But I didn’t have someone like you looking out for me.” 

Rex’s eyes scanned Saw’s face, taking in his scar and the cloudy gray of his blind eye. If there was anyone who understood what his brothers were going through, it was Saw. “How should I talk to them? What… what do I say? Echo brushes me off when I try to tell him I don’t mind helping, and Fives just won’t accept my help, period.” 

“I would say don’t talk to them,” Saw said bluntly. “Let them bring it up if they want to. I used to be a real asshole about my injuries. If anyone asked about them, I’d usually fire off some sarcastic reply. I hated that people looked down on me. I hated the stares I got when people noticed my limp and all the whispers when they thought I couldn’t hear.”

“Yeah, I can attest to that. I pissed off Saw when I met him the first time,” Ahsoka chimed him. 

Saw chuckled softly. “Yeah, I was a dick. But that was because I was embarrassed. It’s hard adjusting to a new life. I was lucky enough not to lose my arm and my leg, but Echo didn’t get lucky like I did. He probably still wakes up thinking they’re there, only to be disappointed every time. He probably still tries to reach for the remote, or stand up to go to the bathroom, or reach down to tie his shoelaces. I didn’t feel like I was disabled at first. It took me a long time to realize I wasn’t ever going to be “normal” again. I don’t know Echo that well, but I’d say he’s going through something similar.” 

Rex sighed. “I just want to support them. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” 

“They’ll ask for help if they need it,” Saw said. “Hell, if you guys want to come around my place sometime, we can have a drink and just shoot the shit. I’ve been through it all. And maybe it would be good for them to know there’s a light at the end of the tunnel. Other vets have gone through what they’re going through.” 

“Thank you, Saw. I’ll let you know.” 

“Sure, kid.” Saw thumped him on the back. “So I hear your 21st is coming up soon.” 

Rex groaned. “Saw, whatever you’re going to say--”

“What?” Saw grinned. “I was just going to suggest we go to that bar your other brother works at. You know. Tall, dark, and handsome.” 

Ahsoka stifled a laugh, and Rex squinted at him. “Cody? Seriously? You know him and I look alike.” 

“Nah. You’re like… my kid brother,” Saw said. “But he’s not. Oh, he’s _definitely_ not.” He winked. 

“You’re disgusting. Get back to work.” 

Saw smirked and strolled back over to the bike he had been working on. 

Ahsoka leaned against the Accord as she watched Rex work on the battery. “So what _are_ we going to do for your birthday? Some kind of celebration?” 

“Well, you said we should do dinner with your uncle again sometime. We could do that.” Rex bent down underneath the hood again. 

“Oh, Uncle Plo would like that. You know he’d pull out all the stops. A five-course meal, complete with a homemade birthday cake, and probably decorations,” Ahsoka rattled off. “He likes you a lot, you know. He thought you were a very nice and respectful young man.” 

Rex peeked up at her. “That’s what he said?” 

“Yes. I told him how you surprised me with flowers and my favorite chocolate that you can only get at that little store across town just because. And how you brought me soup and a new book to read while I was sick so I wouldn’t get bored just laying around. And how you fixed my sink when it was leaking so I wouldn’t have to call a plumber.” Ahsoka put her hands on her hips. “I made you look pretty good. You’re welcome.” 

Rex chuckled and stood up to kiss her cheek. “Thank you. I wanted your uncle to like me. Family is important to me.” 

Ahsoka smiled. “He liked that too. He wants to meet your brothers.” 

“Oh, that’ll scare him off for sure.” Rex snorted. “My family is a little strange.” 

“And mine isn’t? He pulled out my baby pictures from his wallet to show you over dessert.” Ahsoka rolled her eyes. “Typical.” 

“The pictures were pretty cute,” Rex teased. 

“Only because it wasn’t you hanging upside down from your high chair with cake smeared all over your face!” Ahsoka protested. 

“Hey, lovebirds!” Saw called from across the garage. “Somebody’s pulling up. Can one of you get that?”

“I got it. Can you check the battery on this thing to make sure I installed it right?” Rex asked her. His skills had vastly improved since Anakin had started teaching him, but Ahsoka was supervising while he was still learning. 

“Sure. Have them pull through and park next to the bike Saw’s working on.” Ahsoka said as she started to inspect the Accord’s battery. 

Rex mulled over Saw’s words for the remainder of his shift. He would never understand the challenges Echo and Fives were experiencing, but maybe Saw could. The twins had clung so tight to each other because they had no one else; no one to turn to when they were afraid, no one to ask when they had questions. Saw had gone through all of that when he was discharged from the Army, and he had gone through it alone. For all his faults, Saw was a good guy, and he had helped Rex on more than one occasion. Perhaps he could help Fives and Echo in a way Rex couldn’t. 

“Hey, Saw.” Rex wandered over to him at the end of their shift, just as Ahsoka was grabbing the keys to lock up. “I was wondering if I could take you up on that offer to have a drink tonight.”

“Oh, sure.” Saw shoved his hands into his pockets. “You gonna bring your brothers?”

“If they want to come, yeah.”

“Great.” Saw slung his arm over Rex’s shoulder as they headed out of the garage. “Me and you need to hang out more, Rex. Especially since we’ll be able to actually go out to bars soon.

“Do you ever do anything other than drink at home or go bar hopping?” Rex asked in amusement.

“Tch. ‘Course I do. I like to go for a nice stroll in the park every evening.”

“Bullshit. The only strolling you do is down the strip. You’re the reason they have public intoxication laws.”

“A lesser man would be hurt by that.”

“Ready to go, boys?” Ahsoka interrupted, twirling the keys around her finger. “Shop’s locked up. I already texted Anakin.”

“Great.” Rex stepped away from Saw and kissed Ahsoka chastely. “I’ll see you tomorrow, right? I’m afternoon shift and you’re morning.”

“Yep. Saw’s afternoon with you.” Ahsoka kissed him back and patted his cheek. “See you then. Don’t get too crazy tonight with Saw.”

Rex shook his head. “I’m only going to have one beer, max.”

“Then have fun.” Ahsoka squeezed his hand before they parted ways. Rex waved at Saw and let him know he would be over in a couple hours after he got a bite to eat. 

Back at the apartment, Rex tossed his keys into the bowl by the door and stretched out with a sigh. He needed to get the stench of the day off of him, so the first thing he did was take a shower. Once he no longer smelled like grease and oil, Rex fixed himself some dinner, happy to have a moment to rest after being on his feet all day. It was all too tempting to stay there on the couch and nod off with the soft sounds of the TV to lull him to sleep, but he had made a promise. Rex stood with a groan to walk to Fives’ and Echo’s room. He knocked on the door and opened it a crack. 

“Hey. Can I come in?”

Echo waved him in. He and Fives were watching Netflix on their laptop. “What’s up?”

Rex stepped inside and closed the door. “I’m going over to Saw’s to get a drink. I was wondering if you two wanted to come.”

Echo looked at Fives and made a face. “I don’t know. I think it would be a hassle.”

Fives shook his head and nudged Echo. “Please?” He stuck his lower lip out in a pout. “Have fun.”

Echo wavered, softening at Fives’ pleading expression. “We were watching a movie.”

“Later.” Fives closed the laptop’s lid. “Please. Need to… go. Outside.” They had hardly left the apartment since they had been back except for therapy and once to get ice cream. 

“Alright.” Echo’s expression softened. “Maybe for a little bit. But you’re not getting drunk.” 

Fives smiled and got up. “Out soon. Get dressed,” he told Rex, and Rex left them alone so they could change into something other than sweats. 

Rex let the other boys know they were leaving while the twins got ready. Hardcase pouted about not being allowed to come, but Rex was firm that he didn’t want Hardcase around alcohol until he was a bit older. He had already promised him he could try a beer on his eighteenth birthday, so that satisfied him for now. As usual, Fives brought Echo to the car and helped him buckle in. Echo was becoming more self-sufficient by the day, but there were some things he simply couldn’t do. 

“So Saw was in the Army?” Echo asked to make conversation on the drive over. 

“Yeah. Just like he always said he would be. He was medically discharged,” Rex explained. “His left ear is bad, so speak clearly when you’re around him. He’s blind in that eye too. There was an explosion.” 

“Oh.” Echo sat back and stared out the window. Fives managed to find the humor in the situation regardless. 

“Same… as me and Echo. Blast buddies,” Fives joked, and Echo managed a small smile. 

Rex parked as close to Saw’s building as he could. Luckily, Saw lived on the first floor, so Fives wheeled Echo right up to the door. Rex knocked and took a step back.

“There he is,” Saw exclaimed, throwing open the door. From the way his breath smelled, he had gotten started on the drinking without them. “Come in, come in. Fives and Echo, wow. Haven't seen you little shits in a long time."

“Good to see you too, Saw," Echo said dryly. 

“Rex, have I told you your family is weird as fuck lately?” Saw closed the door once they were all inside. “I gotta know the story behind those names.” 

Fives nudged Echo. “Tell.” 

“We all started going by nicknames as kids. Rex isn’t his real name either,” Echo explained. “I used to repeat whatever Fives said all the time. And Fives has this weird thing about counting everything in multiples of five.” 

“Even… is better,” Fives muttered by way of explanation. 

“You know, I always wondered why your parents hated you enough to name you Rex.” Saw handed them each a beer. “What’s your real name?” 

“Rex is my real name,” Rex replied stiffly, and Saw wisely dropped it. 

“So you guys have been back in the States for a couple weeks.” Saw settled on the couch next to Fives, and Rex sat on his other side. Echo elected to stay in his chair by the couch.

“Three weeks,” Fives clarified. He cleared his throat. “Speech disorder. Therapy.” 

Saw waved him off. “Rex told me. It’s fine. He said you’re making good progress. I know the place you guys are going to. It’s where I went for physical therapy too.” 

“What therapy?” Fives asked, sipping his beer. 

“I had to relearn how to walk and use my left arm. It got fucked to pieces by a mine, basically,” Saw said. “And my depth perception was fucked after I lost sight in my left eye. But hey, I’m alright. Things are better these days.” 

“That’s what they keep saying.” Echo toyed with the label on his beer. “That it’ll get better.” 

“They do feed you some bullshit, but that’s true in my experience,” Saw said. “Trust me, there were some dark times when I thought I wouldn’t see better days. It’s not that it gets much easier. But you deal.” 

Fives tapped his shoulder to get Saw’s attention since he was on his left. “How long… discharged?” 

“Oh, I’ve been out…” Saw paused to think. “Five years? Yeah. I wasn’t too much older than you guys when the accident happened. You know what I missed the most when I was away, though?”

Fives raised his eyebrows. “What?”

“Burgers. And sex,” Saw said solemnly. “There’s slim pickings out in the desert, I’ll tell you that.” 

Fives snorted. “Gross.” 

“I think he means Marines are gross,” Echo clarified, and Fives nodded. “Some of them only showered a couple times a week. One guy had to get hosed down after his entire squad complained that he was stinking up the place.” 

“Soldiers aren’t much better, I’ll tell you that. And after eating MREs for weeks at a time? Those are the worst shits. MREs are gross as hell.” Saw sighed. “I sure don’t miss that.” 

“Chili Mac,” Fives countered, and Saw laughed. 

“Okay, you got me there. The chili Mac wasn’t too bad. They had this omelet thing that was fucking disgusting, and I always seemed to get that one. I just ate the crackers and the Skittles and tossed the rest. The MRE diet did make me lose about ten pounds, so that was good.” 

“I lost a lot of weight at basic,” Echo agreed. “At least ten or fifteen pounds. I wasn’t prepared for all the physical exercise. And you never had enough time to eat. The DIs would stand over us and yell if we didn’t finish the main meal at least. I puked on a DI’s boots once, and he smoked our whole platoon. He thought I did it on purpose.” 

Fives rolled his eyes. “Two hundred pushups. Five minute plank.” 

“Yeah, that sucked.” 

Fascinated, Rex sat back and drank his beer while Saw and his brothers swapped military stories. Most of the anecdotes, he had never heard before. Fives and Echo had been happy to share their experiences after basic, back when they were still bright-eyed idealists. Deployment had sobered them. Tales of drinking cobra blood and crawling under barbed wire no longer seemed as glamorous as they once had. 

“Oh, and then Montoya tells me, “I borrowed your underwear”. Like, the fuck you mean _my_ underwear? That’s your underwear now, brother. It’s been marinating in your ball sweat in a hundred degree heat for twelve hours. I don’t care how many times you wash it. Holy fucking shit,” Saw muttered.

Fives grinned. “Stole... Echo’s socks.”

Echo scoffed. “Somehow, you put new holes in your socks every week. I kept wondering where they were disappearing to. I asked Ty, I asked Nick, I even interrogated our sarge. Nothing. And then you stroll in from the showers wearing the socks with my initials on them.”

“Is that why I always had to send you socks in your care packages?” Rex asked. 

“Yes,” Echo groaned. “Fucking sock thief.” He reached across Saw to hit his brother’s shoulder, and Fives laughed. 

“Good socks were a golden currency out there. The real thick ones, not the shitty ones they issue you.” Saw drained the last of his beer and looked around. “I’m getting another one. You guys want one?”

Rex shook his head. He had switched to soda an hour ago since he needed to be sober enough to drive. “I’m good.” Echo had finished his, but he declined Saw’s offer. Fives was the only one to take him up on it. 

While Saw was rummaging around in his fridge, Echo leaned in to whisper to Fives. 

“How long are we staying?”

Fives shrugged. “Tired?”

Echo looked down. “Sorry.” Physical activity drained him these days. He had lost a significant amount of weight and body mass after being in the hospital for so long, and it would still be awhile before he got his strength back through physical therapy. 

“Okay. Go soon,” Fives agreed. Echo looked between him, Rex, and the kitchen where Saw was, and his face hardened when he made his decision.

“No. You can stay with Saw. Rex can take me home.” A brief expression of anxiety passed over Echo’s features, and Rex was quick to reassure him. 

“It’s fine, Fives. I can take him.”

Fives frowned and looked at Echo seriously. “Sure?”

“I’m sure. You shouldn’t have to be held back by me.”

“Not… held back,” Fives started to protest, but Saw had just come back with their beers. 

Saw handed Fives his beer and sat down again. “You guys wanna watch a movie or something?”

Echo spoke up before Fives could interject. “Rex and I are going to head back, actually.”

“I’m feeling tired.” Rex glanced at Echo, whose eyes were grateful “Long day today. Hope you don’t mind.”

“Nah, not at all. Fives, you sticking around?” Saw asked. 

Fives grinned. “Pick… movie.”

“Oh, you wanna pick? Alright, sure. Guest gets to pick.” Saw handed him the remote and stood up. Rex got behind Echo and started wheeling him to the door. “Thanks for dropping by, Rex.”

“Sure. Fives, you’re good with getting an Uber, right?” Rex called. He got a thumbs up in response. 

“Nice see you, Echo.” Saw held out his left fist for Echo to bump. It was a small gesture, but one that Echo appreciated nonetheless. He had already had to deal with several awkward handshake mishaps. 

“Nice to see you too.”

“I’ll make sure the other one gets home safe.” Saw leaned against the door and waved as they headed to the car. “See you tomorrow, Rex!”

Rex pushed Echo to the car and engaged the wheel locks once they were close enough. He had never done this before, but he had seen Fives do it plenty of times, so he was able to smoothly transition Echo from his chair to the passenger seat. Echo was visibly relieved that Rex hadn’t made it a big deal, and Rex gave himself a mental pat on the back for earning a small part of Echo’s trust. 

In the car, Rex let Echo choose the music and put it on low. “So what did you think about Saw?”

“He’s a character,” Echo responded. “Just like I remember. But I like him. I haven’t talked to many vets except the ones at the facility. And there, it’s usually pretty depressing. I guess he’s got a way of making things not seem so bad.”

“I know he’s doing well now, but he was where you are once,” Rex said. “We’ve talked about it a little. He’s gone to therapy, and that’s helped him. Other than physical therapy, I mean. Counseling.”

“Yeah, I understand what you mean.” Echo cringed. “I don’t know if I’d ever… I just don’t think I could talk to a stranger like that.”

Rex was quiet for a minute, listening to the blinker tick at a stoplight. “You know you can always talk to me.”

“I know, Rex.” Echo leaned his head against the car window “It’s complicated. I feel like a mess. I feel like… I’m not me, not anymore. I don’t know who he is, but he’s not me.”

“You know that I don’t expect you to be you, right? The you you were before?” Rex asked carefully. “I know things are different. I don’t want you trying to be someone you’re not. We’ve all changed.”

“You’re doing your best, Rex,” Echo said softly. “I just want you to know that I appreciate that.”

Rex nodded a little. “And I know you’re doing your best too.”

The rest of the car ride home was quiet, but it was a comfortable silence, the kind that spoke of comfort and mutual understanding. This time, when Rex got out of the car to transfer Echo to his wheelchair, his brother did not flinch away. He even leaned into Rex’s support for a fraction of a second. Rex counted that as a win.

Inside, Rex wheeled Echo to his bed and started to pick him up again. Echo stopped him. “I, uh… Gotta piss.”

Rex knew Fives helped Echo with his nightly routine, and it surprised him just how many things Echo needed help with. He patiently waited while Echo took a piss, washed his face, brushed his teeth, and carefully dressed in his pajamas. Once he was in bed, Rex pulled the covers over him, and Echo clutched the blanket tightly. It was dark in the room, so Rex couldn’t see Echo’s face, but he could sense his vulnerability. 

“Rex?”

“Yeah?”

“Would you mind… staying until Fives gets back?” 

Rex was already kicking off his shoes. Slipping into bed with Echo, he did his best to keep a polite distance, but Echo had other plans. He scooted in towards Rex and laid his head on the pillow next to his big brother’s. Rex closed his eyes and savored the moment. He wasn’t sure he would get another one like it again, but he was grateful for what Echo could give him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whatever you think Fives and Saw are doing alone in his apartment... yes. That's all I'm going to say.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully this will be a bit of a lighthearted chapter for everyone :)

It was just after 9am when Rex woke up. He was disoriented for a good ten seconds when he realized he was in an unfamiliar room. His bed wasn’t this big, and his walls weren’t painted that color, and he didn’t have a closet across from his bathroom. As he scrubbed at his face, the details of last night came floating back in, and Rex relaxed back against Fives’ pillow. He had brought Echo back home. He had helped Echo get to bed. Then Echo had asked him to stay, and he had waited up maybe an hour for Fives. He must have drifted off. It was strange that Fives hadn’t woken him up, but Rex figured he was just drunk and passed out on the couch. 

A quick glance at Echo told Rex that his brother was still asleep. Echo rarely slept through the night anymore, so Rex was determined not to wake him. Slipping out of bed, Rex grabbed his phone and checked his messages as he headed to the living room. 

Strangely enough, Rex didn’t have a single call or text from Fives letting him know when he had left or arrived home. Rex stopped when he noticed the couch was barren, and the kitchen was empty. A quick check of his own room and Jesse and Kix’s room told him that Fives wasn’t there either. In fact, he wasn’t anywhere in the apartment. Now he was starting to get worried. Rex was a reasonable man, so he decided to give Fives a quick call before he panicked. 

Rex was now panicked. Fives didn’t pick up, even the second, third, and fourth times he called. Rex sent him a quick text to call him back when he saw his messages. The only other person he could think to contact was Saw, but he wasn’t picking up either. It was entirely possible that they had both passed out drunk and Saw had let Fives sleep on his couch, but Rex would expect that Fives would at least text him if that was the situation. 

It was almost 9:30 now, and the only thing Rex could think of doing was actually going over to Saw’s place to see if Fives was still there. Rex was halfway to the door when he remembered Echo. He couldn’t just leave him, not when Echo needed help with basic things like getting a glass of water and going to the bathroom. Rex wavered for a moment before he ultimately decided to text both Hardcase and Echo. 

_ R: Need to go out for a few minutes. Hardcase, help Echo if he needs anything.  _

There was no need to worry them. Surely Fives was still at Saw’s place, and not dead in a ditch like Rex’s overactive imagination was telling him. If he was at Saw’s, Rex would just drive him back home, and gently chastise him for not calling or texting. If he wasn’t, then it would officially be time to freak out. 

Rex continued to check his messages at every stoplight on the way to Saw’s. It was after 10am now, and still nothing. Fives was an adult and he was reasonably responsible, but he also had experienced a severe brain trauma just a few months prior. Along with the deficits in his speech, Fives still had a hard time remembering some things, and he occasionally became disoriented. Adding alcohol to the mix wouldn’t help. Rex would never forgive himself if something happened to his brother because he left him drunk, alone, and in an unfamiliar place. 

Saw’s truck was out front when Rex arrived, so Saw was definitely there. Rex jogged to his door and knocked, peeking in the front window to see if anyone was inside. It was entirely plausible that Saw was still asleep, considering he never got up before noon unless he had a morning shift. Rex knocked again, louder this time. 

“Dammit, Saw,” Rex muttered, tapping his foot as he waited. Saw was probably too hungover to hear, not to mention the fact that he was partially deaf. He would’ve felt bad for making so much noise if this wasn’t so important. Relief flooded Rex’s body when he heard shuffling and grumbling from inside the apartment, and then the door swung open. 

Saw stood on the other side, wearing the expression of a man who was both incredibly tired and incredibly hungover. “What the fuck, Rex?” He dragged a hand down his face. “It’s fucking… goddamn early o’clock. You need something?”

“Actually, it’s 10am,” Rex responded, eyebrows raised at Saw’s choice of attire. He was wearing nothing but thin gray sweatpants that left very little to the imagination. That was more of Saw Gerrera than he ever wanted to see. “Did Fives get an Uber home last night?”

“Did he-- oh.” Saw was suddenly very awake. He shuffled a bit behind the door like he had just realized what he was, or in this case, was not, wearing. “Nah, we were both pretty wasted last night so I let him take the couch after the movie was done.”

Rex closed his eyes briefly. Fives was fine, just as he thought. “He never texted me. I was worried.” He tried to see around Saw into the apartment. “Is he up? I can just take him home now. That way he doesn’t have to take an Uber.”

Saw subtly shifted his body into the space between the door and the frame. Rex narrowed his eyes at the shifty behavior. “You don’t have to do that. I’ll take him home.”

“You’re hungover. I’m not even sure you’re fit to drive. Look, it’s not a big deal. Just tell him I’m here.” Rex put a hand on the door and tried to push it open. “Why are you being weird? Just let me in.”

Saw laughed awkwardly and glanced behind himself in the apartment. “Just a little tired, that’s all. Hey, why don’t you just wait outside, and I’ll have Fives come out when he’s--"

A familiar voice suddenly floated in from behind Saw, and Rex impatiently pushed open the door before Saw could close it in his face. “Saw, coming back?” Fives froze when he saw Rex, and the two brothers stared at each other for a comically long moment. “Shit.”

Fives was naked. Not completely, but he might as well have been. There was a sheet wrapped around his waist, and it did little to hide the hickies and bite marks trailing up his stomach and torso. Rex bullied his way into the apartment and stood there, mouth opening and closing in abject horror. The absolute outrage and anger he felt had him at a loss for words. 

“Would you believe it’s not what it looks like?” Saw asked, his voice high-pitched like he didn’t really expect Rex to believe that, but maybe he had a little bit of hope. 

Rex pressed his palms into his eye sockets and took a moment to calm down so he wouldn’t start yelling. “Fives, can you… get dressed? Fuck.”

Fives scurried away before he could incur Rex’s wrath. Rex waited until he heard Saw’s bedroom door close to turn on his friend, who was doing his best to look innocent. “Are you fucking serious?” Rex whisper-yelled, keeping his voice down so Fives wouldn’t hear them argue. “My brother, Saw? My fucking baby brother?” 

“He’s an adult!” Saw protested. “We’re both consenting adults. Look, it just kind of happened. It was an accident. Well, the second time wasn’t an accident, but--”

“Shut up. Just shut up, I don’t want to hear details,” Rex growled. “I can’t believe you.” 

Saw held out his hands to placate Rex. “Nothing happened that he didn’t want to happen, trust me. We were both a little drunk, but we were pretty sober after the movie. And he was the one who came onto me!” 

“You said I was like your little brother!” Rex exclaimed. “How could you-- I can’t fucking believe this. I can’t.” Rex started to pace, rubbing at his temples. 

“Yeah,  _ you’re _ like my little brother. But he isn’t. You aren’t the same person, Rex.” Saw crossed his arms over his chest. “Look, I’m sorry you had to find out this way, but you were the one that practically busted down my door.” 

A sarcastic laugh bubbled up from Rex’s chest. “Right, what would you have said to me? ‘Hey, Rex, How are you this afternoon? By the way, I fu--’” He blanched before the word could leave his mouth and switched gears. “‘I had sex with your little brother last night instead of making sure he got home safely like I was supposed to. Anyway, how was your morning?’” 

“He was safe,” Saw defended. “Just… y’know. In my bed.” 

“Not. Funny.” Rex jabbed his finger in Saw’s direction. 

Saw smirked. “Aw, Rex. Okay. I’m sorry. Does that make you feel better?” 

“No. Because I know you’re not sorry,” Rex said, clenching his jaw. 

“So what, was I supposed to ask for your permission? Fives is an adult. He can make big boy decisions. Did you think he was a virgin before this?” Saw asked. “Because he definitely was not a virgin. I hate to break it to you.” 

“There’s a difference between my brother having sex with someone I don’t know and having sex with one of my best friends!” 

Saw’s face lit up. “I’m one of your best friends?” 

“That’s what you’re choosing to focus on?” Rex asked incredulously. 

They both turned when Saw’s bedroom opened again. Fives tiptoed out sheepishly and looked at Rex. “Home now?”

“Yeah.” Rex tossed one last glare in Saw’s direction as he took Fives’ arm and marched him out the door. 

“See you at work, Rex!” Saw called just to be cheeky, and Rex flipped him off when Fives wasn’t looking. 

“No big deal,” Fives told Rex as he was getting in the car. “Wanted it. Not forced.”

“I know.” Rex got in on the driver’s side and started the car.

Fives sat back and stared out the window. “Mad… at me?”

Rex glanced at Fives and sighed. “No, I’m not mad at you.”

“Mad… at Saw?”

“Maybe at first. You’ll have to give me a break here, Fives, it’s pretty shocking to walk in on your brother like…” Rex waved his hand vaguely and put the car in reverse. 

“Yeah. Sorry,” Fives said. “Not sorry… about Saw.” He grinned. 

Rex shook his head and started the drive back to their place. “You’re an adult, Fives I can’t control who you sleep with. But really? Saw?”

Fives shrugged. “Saw is hot,” he said, and Rex couldn’t help but smile because that was the first full sentence he had heard Fives speak with proper syntax since he had started speech therapy. 

“Okay, I get it. Is it… just a one time thing?” Rex silently prayed that the answer would be yes. He didn’t think he could handle it if they started a friends-with-benefits situation, or worse, a relationship. 

Fives hummed and made an ‘I don’t know’ sound. “Had fun.” He was quiet for a moment, and when he spoke again, his words were slow and deliberate. “Didn’t feel… broken. For once. Felt good. Connected.”

“You’re not broken, Fives,” Rex said, taken aback by Fives’ words. “I know things aren’t the same anymore.”

“But… feels…” Fives huffed in frustration and banged his fist against the dashboard. “Feels broken. Listen! Sound... broken.”

“I’m sorry.” Rex didn’t know what the right thing to say was, or if he should say anything at all. 

“Tired.” Fives’ shoulders sagged. “Want… to be… normal. Again.”

“Your speech is a lot better than it was,” Rex pointed out. “You’re improving more every day. I can tell.”

Fives tapped his fingers against his armrest. “Burden,” he said quietly. “For you....‘Case, Jesse, Kix.”

Rex glanced at him in shock. “Fives, you’re not a burden. You’re family. Why do you think that?”

Fives fidgeted in his seat. “Money. Borrowed.”

It was lucky that Rex had just stopped at a red light because it gave him the opportunity to turn and fully face Fives. “How did you know I borrowed money?”

“Phone. Saw… text. Cody.” Fives looked back at Rex, a question written on his face. “Why?”

“We needed a bigger apartment. I couldn’t afford it.” Rex started to drive again when the light turned green. “Cody is a good person. He offered to let me borrow the money. I’m paying him back.” As far as Rex was concerned, Fives didn’t need to know the part about Jango. 

“Meet Cody? Soon?” Fives asked. “Cody… our brother?”

“He’s our half-brother,” Rex corrected. In his mind, Cody still wasn’t family even if he was starting to like the guy. “You can meet him if you want to. I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”

“Dad?”

“You really want to see Dad?” Rex asked skeptically. 

“Maybe.” A curious look came over Fives’ face. “What… happened?”

“When we went to see Dad?” Rex clarified. Fives nodded. “I expected some kind of apology. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so optimistic. I told you about the situation with Cody and the reason Dad left. Well, he told us Mom wanted him to leave because she found out he was cheating again. I can believe that, but the rest of what he said was bullshit. He said that he knew Mom died. He didn’t contact us because he thought we would be better off in the system.” Fives made a noise of surprise and anger. “Yeah, I know. Complete horse shit. And he never once apologized. He just kept saying that he thought he was doing what was best for us and he hoped we understood. I got the hell out of there. We didn’t need to sit there and listen to that.”

“Bastard,” Fives muttered. “See Dad… later. Maybe. Ask Echo first.”

“You think he’ll want to see him?”

“No,” Fives said honestly. “Too embarrassed.”

“I can tell,” Rex said. “I feel like he’s made progress, but he still hasn’t fully adjusted to his injuries.”

“Prosthetics soon. Hopefully. Maybe… then.”

“Yeah. He might feel more like himself then.”

Fives unbuckled his seatbelt when they arrived back at the apartment. “Tired… right now. Need sleep.”

Rex got out of the car. “I bet you do,” he said under his breath. Fives laughed and nudged him. 

“Not… virgin, Rex. You?”

“Asshole,” Rex replied fondly as he unlocked the front door. “I’m not a virgin.” 

As soon as they stepped through the front door, Rex could hear Echo calling from the bedroom. “Rex?”

“Hey, it’s me. Are you okay?” Rex called back. 

“Where’s Fives?”

“Here!” Fives yelled cheerfully. He followed Rex to the bedroom and flopped down by Echo. “Got laid.” He held up a hand for a high-five. 

Echo stared at him in confusion, but gave him his high-five. “What are you talking about?” His face morphed into shock as the realization hit him. “Oh my God. You slept with Saw?”

Fives nodded enthusiastically, and Rex rolled his eyes. “Imagine my surprise when I walked in to find him half naked and coming out of Saw’s bedroom.”

Echo burst out laughing, and the sudden sound was so loud that it made Rex jump. It was an honest-to-God, belly-aching, tear-inducing laugh. Echo was clutching his chest, eyes shut tight as tears streamed down his face, gasping for breath in between bouts of laughter. “Oh my God. I wish I was there to see Rex’s face! Oh-- my God-- Fives.” 

The laughter was so infectious that Echo even had Rex chuckling, and soon, all three of them were in stitches. Rex hadn’t heard his brothers laugh like this since they came back, and his heart was filled with such profound joy that he couldn’t help but join in. He sat on the bed and covered his face with his hands as his shoulders shook with barely-contained laughter. Fives was smirking, but he was giggling right along with Echo like they were two kids talking about a crush he had. 

Inevitably, the noise disturbed their other three brothers, and Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix came wandering in a few minutes later. 

“What’s so funny, huh?” Hardcase asked, which only made Echo laugh harder. 

“Fives--” Echo sat up and used his shirt to wipe his eyes. “Fives had sex with Saw Gerrera!”

“What?” Jesse shrieked, his eyes popping out of his head. Kix collapsed on the floor in a fit of giggles, and Jesse plopped down on top of him while they laughed together. Hardcase just stood there with his mouth hanging open. 

“I thought you said Saw was off limits!”

“For you! You’re seventeen!” Rex exclaimed. “If Saw even thinks about coming near you, I’ll remove his balls with a razor.”

Hardcase groaned in frustration and sprawled out on the floor. “I guess it is kinda funny.” Fives leaned down for a fist bump, and Hardcae reluctantly returned it. 

“How come I can’t get a boyfriend?”

“Because you’re ugly!” Jesse yelled from underneath Kix. He giggled when Kix tickled him. “Stop it!”

“And you’re not? We basically have the same face.”

“We have the same face, but I wear it better. I’m pretty.”

“Pretty ugly.”

“That was the worst comeback I’ve ever heard, dumbass.”

Rex leaned up on his elbows and watched his brothers bicker with a smile on his face. This morning certainly hadn’t gone how he had expected. ‘A roller coaster of emotions’ wouldn’t even come close to describing it. Even if he wasn’t happy about Saw’s drunken one night stand with his brother, he was willing to get over it as long as he got to hear Echo’s laughter again. 


	23. Chapter 23

“You know, your Uncle didn’t have to do this for me.” 

Rex was sitting in the driveway of Ahsoka’s uncle’s house in his crappy, beat up car, suddenly feeling as nervous as he had the first time he had met Plo.

“It’s your birthday, Rex. You deserve to have some kind of party.” Ahsoka reached across the center console to squeeze his arm. “Hey, look at me.” 

Turning to face her, Rex finally allowed his gaze to slide up to hers. The past few months had taken their toll on him, physically and mentally. As much as he had tried to shield her from his emotional turmoil, Ahsoka knew he was hurting more than he let on. 

“Come here.” Ahsoka leaned over and planted a soft kiss on his lips. “My uncle wanted to do this for you because he knew how hard it was for me to grow up without parents. The difference was, I had him, and you had no one.” She laced their fingers together. “But now you do. This is his way of inviting you into the family. Besides, it isn’t just your birthday.” She beamed. “It’s our one-year anniversary.” 

Rex smiled back at her. “I’m glad you liked the gift I made you.” 

“I did. Even though I know Echo was the one who put it together,” Ahsoka teased. 

Rex groaned and hung his head. “He’s the artistic one in the family. I was the one who printed and made frames for all the photos. He just arranged them for me. He has… an eye. I wanted it to be nice for you.” 

“I appreciate that. I just knew you didn’t do it.” Ahsoka chuckled. “Come on. Let’s go inside.” 

The two of them hardly had the opportunity for a proper introduction, because Ahsoka’s Uncle Plo had seen their car in the driveway and decided to meet them halfway to the door. He was a tall, bald man with dark skin and a bright smile, and despite his eccentricity, he was as friendly and welcoming as a person could be. Scooping Ahsoka up into his arms, Plo squeezed her tightly, and Ahsoka laughed. 

“Can’t… breathe!” 

Plo released her and held her hands as they parted so he could look at her. “My dear, how is it that you look older every time I see you? When you were small, I begged you to stop growing. Alas, it seems my efforts were fruitless.” 

“Uncle Plo, I’m sorry to say time continues on even when I’m away.” Ahsoka released their hands and stepped aside to pat Rex on the back. “You remember my boyfriend.” 

“The birthday boy! Of course, of course! Come here, son.” 

Rex was pulled into Plo’s ironclad embrace before he had time to react. Ahsoka stifled a giggle when she saw the look on Rex’s face, but he resigned himself to his fate and awkwardly hugged Plo back. 

“I appreciate you doing this for me.” 

“You are part of the family now. Or at least, I hope you will be soon?” Plo pulled back and looked at both of them suggestively.

Ahsoka shook her head. “No talk about that. No talk about grandkids, either, because I’m not popping any of those out anytime soon.” 

“I know, I know.” Plo ushered them both inside, where Rex’s party was waiting. “Our guest of honor is here, my friends!”

Obi-Wan poked his head out of the kitchen. “Happy birthday, Rex. And happy anniversary, I hear.” 

“So what’s this about an anniversary? I didn’t hear about you two getting together on your birthday.” Anakin walked out of the kitchen, a platter of food in hand, and set it on the table. 

“Rex blatantly missed every single signal I sent him for basically a year.” Ahsoka followed Anakin into the kitchen to help him carry all the food to the dining room. “But he finally came around. Wow, Uncle Plo, you really outdid yourself.” 

The dining room was decorated with a giant banner and clusters of colorful balloons, twenty-one by Rex’s count, and there was a small stack of presents on the floor by the table. Rex watched in awe as the table was filled with plates of fruit, vegetables, and pasta, plus baked goods that were most likely made by Obi-Wan. It was entirely too much fuss for him, but it was the most wonderful birthday party he had ever had. In fact, it was the only birthday party he had ever had. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Rex finally managed to blurt out as Plo set down a basket of breadsticks. “You went to all this trouble.” 

“Hardly. I had quite a bit of help.” Plo’s eyes twinkled when he smiled, and it was so genuine that the guilt Rex had felt over Plo going to all this trouble for him melted away. “Come, sit down. I’m eager for you to try my new baked ziti recipe. You wouldn’t even know it’s vegetarian!” 

Rex took his place at the head of the table, where his chair had been decorated with streamers and more balloons. Underneath the table, he felt Ahsoka squeeze his knee, and he placed his hand on top of hers. So this was what it felt like to have a family. 

As it turned out, Plo, Anakin, and Obi-Wan were old friends. Curious about how they knew each other, Rex interjected to ask when they had all met. 

“Oh, I’ve known this one since he was a baby.” Plo clapped Anakin on the shoulder. “I’m an old friend of their father’s. When Qui-Gon passed, I tried to seek out guardianship, but I had just taken in young Ahsoka after my sister lost her battle to cancer. It was unfortunate timing. But I dare say that Obi-Wan did well taking care of Anakin on his own.” 

“I was hardly on my own. I owe my sanity to you.” Obi-Wan turned to Rex. “If you can believe it, Anakin was quite the handful.” 

Rex grinned. “I can believe it.” 

Anakin scoffed dramatically. “You make it sound like I made your life hell.” 

“We made each other’s lives hell. There was a time when we fought constantly,” Obi-Wan reminded him. “But you were a teenager and I was a young adult who hardly knew what he was doing. I’d say we both did as well as we could.” 

Ahsoka smirked and nudged Rex. “What was the worst thing Anakin ever did as a teenager?” Obi-Wan laughed, and Anakin immediately tried to shush him. 

“Don’t you dare tell the car story--”

“It’s a good story, Anakin. And I daresay you deserve to hear it again since you’re the one who caused all that mess.” Obi-Wan took a sip of his drink and waved at Anakin to shut up. “Anakin totaled my car when he was fourteen years old. He hadn’t even obtained his permit yet when he decided to take it without permission and drive by the house of the lovely young lady he had a crush on at the time. Apparently he was trying to convince her that he was sixteen so she would want to date him.”

Ahsoka covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her laughter. “You really did that, Anakin?”

Anakin shrugged and shoved another bite of ziti into his mouth. “My attempts at wooing her worked, too. Eventually. We’re married now.”

“No wonder I’ve never heard the story of how you met!” Ahsoka exclaimed with wide eyes. “How much trouble did he get in?”

“I think my punishment was fitting.” Obi-Wan looked at Anakin expectantly. 

Anakin snorted. “He made me get a job at an auto repair shop to pay for the damages. It was under the table since I was only fourteen, but it got me started on my career. I guess you could argue that me crashing the car was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

“And yet I was the one who had to ride the bus to work every day for six months,” Obi-Wan said dryly.

“At least there weren’t five Anakins. That’s what Rex has to deal with,” Ahsoka said. “Tell them what happened last week.”

Rex shook his head and set his fork down. “It’s not as bad as totaling a car. When we were kids, there used to be this creek behind our house where we would go and try to catch frogs. Jesse was always the best at it. I guess he wanted to see if he could still do it because he found two frogs outside our apartment complex and brought them inside. They got loose in his room. We found one, but we never found the second one, so now we have to watch where we step in his room.”

“Frogs? Perhaps the car crash wasn’t so bad.” Obi-Wan chuckled and stood. “Let me take your plate. I think Plo is eager for you to unwrap your presents.”

“I don’t think we can top last year’s present, but we tried.” Anakin nodded at the pile on the floor. “Go ahead.”

Rex picked up the first colorfully-wrapped gift and looked around at all of them hesitantly. “You didn’t have to do this, but thank you.” He knew any further protestations would be vehemently dismissed. The wrapping paper was so nice and shiny that he hated to tear it, but he was curious about what was inside, so he did anyway. Ahsoka tossed the paper into a garbage bag as Rex opened up the box underneath. His expression morphed into one of shock as he pulled out the item. 

“Is this…?”

Anakin nodded. “It’s exactly like mine. It comes in handy around the shop.”

“This is incredible.” Fascinated, Rex stared at the multitool in his hands and started to flick out each attachment. There was a large and small blade, three different screwdrivers, scissors, a file, pliers, a magnifying glass, a ruler, a wire stripper, a bottle opener, a corkscrew, and a penlight. It also worked as a writing utensil. “Thank you.”

“I figured you could use a practical gift. Obi-Wan got you the fun gift.”

“Don’t spoil it,” Ahsoka huffed, picking up a pretty gift bag from off the floor. She plopped it into Rex’s lap, and a small shower of glitter rained down over him. “Open it!”

“I think you’re more excited than I am,” Rex teased as he pulled the paper out of the top. “It’s… oh.” He reached inside, pulling out each individual item in the bag until it was empty, until he finally reached the card in the bottom. “A gift card?”

“For you and your brothers,” Obi-Wan clarified. “I wanted you to be able to do something fun for your birthday. That should be able to cover the cost for all of you to see a movie together. The candy and popcorn is just for fun.”

Sifting through the frankly exorbitant amount of candy in his lap, Rex pulled out a giant bag of peanut butter M&Ms and laughed. “How did you know?”

Obi-Wan winked at Ahsoka. “I may have had some help with what kind of candy you like.”

Rex carefully packed the bag back up with the candy and gift card. “This is a great gift. Thank you, Obi-Wan. My brothers will be thrilled. Especially since I can take them to rated-R movies now that I’m twenty-one.”

“I forgot you couldn’t do that before,” Ahsoka said. “You’re a real adult now, babe. I’m so proud.”

“Just because we couldn’t do it before doesn’t mean we didn’t.”

“Ah, we’ve saved the best for last!” Plo announced, drawing their attention back to him as he reentered the dining room from the kitchen. In his hands was a towering sheet cake, complete with Rex’s name written all fancy in his favorite shade of blue. Two candles, a two and a one, sat on top, and they had already been lit. 

Ahsoka’s face lit up and she started to sing. “Happy birthday to you…”

Rex smiled as Plo set the cake in front of him, and even though it was always awkward being sung to, he still appreciated the effort. When the last excruciating notes of the birthday song rang out, Rex blew out his candles, and Anakin cheered. 

“Plo, is that buttercream frosting?”

“It is, my boy. Everyone loves buttercream frosting.”

“Hell yes.”

Rex didn’t trust himself to cut the cake, so he allowed Obi-Wan to do it and serve them each a piece. Plo was right: everyone did love the buttercream frosting, and Plo had even gotten the cake flavor right. Vanilla had always been Rex’s favorite, though he had never had a birthday cake this fancy before. It tasted better than any dessert he had ever had, except maybe Obi-Wan’s lemon bars. 

After the cake had been thoroughly demolished with significant help from Anakin, Plo packed up the leftovers and insisted that Rex take a full box of food home to his brothers. He didn’t need much convincing. Money was tight, and even though Plo couldn’t possibly know about Rex’s debt to Cody and the expenses for the twins’ treatments, he had a sneaking suspicion Ahsoka may have been part of the reason there was so much extra food. 

As Rex finished helping Plo pack up the food, Ahsoka put a hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear. “I’m going to run to the bathroom before we go, okay?”

“Sure.” Rex stacked the leftover cake on top. “We’re going to hang out at your place before I go out to dinner with my brothers, right?”

“Yep. Be right back.” Ahsoka disappeared down the hall, and when she returned a few minutes later, she was visibly happy. “Ready to go, Rexy?”

Rex raised his eyebrows at her usage of his teasing nickname. “What’s got you in such a good mood?”

Ahsoka hummed and picked up the box of leftovers. “I’ll tell you in the car.”

Plo, Anakin, and Obi-Wan walked them out, and Plo insisted on hugs from both of them before they got in. They were both amused by her uncle’s enthusiastic waving as Rex pulled out of the driveway. 

“So what didn’t you want to tell me inside?”

Ahsoka opened up her purse and pulled out her chapstick to reapply. “Oh, I was a few days late on my period, but I finally got it. No worries.”

Rex coughed and nearly slammed on the breaks. Luckily, he was already pulling up to a stop sign. “You… what?”

“Relax, Rex. It’s fine. It’s not unusual to be a few days late. I’m pretty regular, but it can happen.”

Rex stared at the stop sign and tried to process exactly what that meant as he slowly pulled out again. “How many days late were you?”

Ahsoka paused. “Five days,”she admitted. “But like I said, it’s not unusual to be a bit late.”

“Oh my God.” Rex let out a shaky breath and loosened his grip on the steering wheel. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Ahsoka grinned sheepishly. “Well… I didn’t want to worry you over nothing. Especially with your birthday coming up.”

“Okay.” Rex stared ahead and blinked. “What would you have done if you were actually…?”

Ahsoka reached over and patted his leg. “I’m sorry to freak you out. Look, we’re as safe as we can be. I know you’re stressed. But nothing happened and we’re fine. Besides, you’ve already basically raised five kids. What’s one more?” 

“Don’t even joke about that,” Rex groaned, though he did smile a little. “Next time, I don’t want to know if your period is late. It might stop my heart.” 

Ahsoka’s laughter sounded musical to his ears. “Fine, I’ll only tell you after the test comes back positive.” 

“Not funny.” 

Despite the small scare in the car, Ahsoka had no problem making Rex’s birthday extra special once they arrived at her apartment. As it turned out, he could get over it quickly enough.

Rex was reluctant to leave Ahsoka’s place as evening approached, but he had promised his brothers he would take them out for a birthday dinner. Part of Ahsoka’s gift to him, besides the blanket she had hand-made and the box of his favorite sweets, had been a gift card for a family birthday dinner. It had meant more than she knew. Rex never could have afforded to take them all out with the current state of his finances. 

The restaurant Rex picked was on the strip near their old apartment. They passed the 212th Street Bar & Grill on the way there. Rex spared a fleeting thought for Cody, but otherwise pushed all considerations of his half-brother out of his mind, at least until they pulled up to the restaurant Rex had chosen. 

Hardcase groaned. “Damn, the place is packed. There’s no way the six of us are gonna get a table.”

“Rex.” Jesse poked the back of his seat. “We’re gonna have to go somewhere else.”

Kix shoved his head through the front two seats. “Can we go to the 212th Street Bar & Grill? I heard their burgers are really good.”

“Yeah, their burgers are awesome!” Jesse encouraged. “Come on, Rex.”

Rex hesitated, and he felt silly for even doing that. There weren’t any other good burger joints on the strip, and Rex had been looking forward to enjoying his first legal drink in a bar. It would be completely asinine to pass up on the opportunity on the off chance they would have an awkward encounter with Cody.

“Alright, alright. Let’s go.”

Upon entering the restaurant, a quick glance behind the bar told Rex that Cody was most likely not working. It was a busy night, but they were able to get a table in about twenty minutes as opposed to the hour they might have waited at Rex’s first choice restaurant. Once seated, Rex began to relax into the atmosphere of the bar. It was his birthday, and even though Rex had some not-so-fond memories of getting the shit beaten out of him against the brick wall outside, he was determined to enjoy his evening. 

Their waiter had just come by to drop off their menus when Rex spotted a familiar figure stepping behind the bar to retrieve a small stack of tips. He had a leather jacket on and was facing away from Rex, but he still knew who it was. When the man turned around, he and Rex made brief eye contact, and then he was approaching before Rex could think to act.

“Rex.” Cody walked over to their table and shoved his hands into his pockets. “Here for dinner?”

“Cody, what’s up?” Hardcase leaned over and gave him a fistbump. “It’s Rex’s birthday.”

“Hold on. It’s your twenty-first, isn’t it?” Rex nodded, and Cody grinned. “What’re you having? I’ll make it for you.” 

“I can just order from the waiter. Aren’t you off shift?” Rex asked.

“Yeah, but it won’t matter. Come on, let me make you your first legal drink.” Cody handed him the drink menu off the table. Rex took it with a sigh and looked it over. 

“How about… a strawberry lemonade vodka.” 

“Good choice. Be right back.” 

Rex watched Cody disappear behind the bar, and in under a minute, he had the drink prepared with a slice of lemon on the rim and a tiny umbrella on top. When Cody handed it over to him, Rex snorted at the tiny, colorful piece of plastic.

“Does it usually come with the umbrella?” 

“Nah, but that’s my favorite part.” 

Rex brought the drink up to his lips and took a sip. The only mixed drinks he had ever had were Saw’s cheap concoctions, and the vodka lemonade was heaven compared to cheap liquor and juice. “This is good. Thank you.”

“It’s on the house.” Cody smiled at all of them. “So, I know most of you.” He turned to look at the twins. “Fives and Echo, right? Cody.” He stuck his hand out to shake. 

“I’m Echo. Rex has told us about you.” Echo held out his left, and Cody switched hands without fuss.

“I’ve heard about you as well. Nice to meet you.”

“Fives.” Fives shook Cody’s hand firmly. “Nice...to meet you. Too.” His chest puffed out in pride. His speech therapy was finally progressing to the point where he could string together short sentences, and it was a relief for all of them to know he may actually be able to retain much of the speech capabilities he had before. 

Rex felt someone kick him under the table and glared at Fives, who was sitting across from him. They had a brief silent conversation with their eyes. 

_ No. _

_ I’m going to do it if you don’t. _

_ You better not.  _

_ I’m gonna.  _

_ You better fucking not-- _

“Cody.” Fives flashed a brilliant grin in his direction and pointed at an empty chair at the next table over. “Stay for dinner?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I should…” Cody faltered, but he looked so hopeful that Rex couldn’t help but give in. 

“You’re welcome to stay, Cody. We were just about to order some food. I’m sure you’re hungry.”

Cody retrieved the chair from the next table after politely asking for permission. “You’re right about that. If you want to get an appetizer, I recommend the jalapeño poppers. John’s the cook tonight, and he makes the best poppers.

It was unsurprising to Rex that Fives and Echo took an immediate liking to Cody. He was a good guy. Rex was the one with issues, and even he couldn’t pinpoint exactly what they were. Maybe it was because Cody looked so much like young Jango. Maybe it was because of his connection to Jango and the fact that he was still around him for Boba’s sake. Maybe it was just that Rex couldn’t get over the fact that Jango had left their family for Cody’s, a decision that had irreparably changed the course of their lives. 

Or maybe Rex just hated that he liked Cody so damn much, and the idea of letting him into their lives scared the shit out of him. 

The alcohol helped Rex push aside his inhibitions for one night. Cody’s easygoing personality instantly lightened the mood. He listened to all of Fives and Echo’s exaggerated military tales; he laughed at Kix and Jesse’s latest antics; he even offered sage advice to Hardcase, who complained about some problem he was having with a boy at school. After his second vodka lemonade, Rex was freely jumping into the conversation, and Cody enjoyed roping him in and asking him questions about work and how things were going with his girlfriend. 

As the night drew on, Cody insisted on having their waiter bring out a birthday dessert for Rex. It came at the cost of another cringe-worthy birthday song, but the cake was good, so Rex sucked it up. When the check came around, Cody insisted on paying for himself as well as Rex’s drinks, which had racked up quite the bill. Rex’s gift card was enough to cover the rest, so he was able to save face. 

They headed outside once it had all been paid for. The cool night air sobered Rex a little. Rex waved his brothers on to the car and tossed Hardcase his keys. Hardcase was eager to practice his driving since he had recently gotten his restricted license, so Rex had felt comfortable drinking as much as he did. 

Cody lingered just outside the door at Rex’s insistence while Hardcase started the car. He was leaning against the very brick wall Rex had gotten his head smashed into many months before. 

“What’s up?” 

Rex crossed his arms over his chest. “How are things with Dad?” 

“You mean, is he pissed you blew him off for the check? Yeah, he is,” Cody said.

“I did what was best for them.” Rex lowered his gaze. “Or I’m trying to.” 

“You are,” Cody reassured him. “I know he wants to convince you to allow him back into your life. Maybe this is cynical, but I would stay away if I were you. I recently found something out…” His voice broke off. “It’s not worth getting involved, Rex.” 

“What?” Rex frowned and looked back at Cody. “Is it serious?” 

“No. Not really.” The streetlight nearby cast a long shadow over Cody’s hard expression. “All I ask is that you don’t repeat what I’m about to tell you.” Rex gave a curt nod. 

“I want to know.” 

“Dad’s sleeping with one of his female coworkers.” 

Rex recoiled in shock. “Isn’t he with your mother?” 

“Yes.” Cody shook his head and scuffed his boot against the concrete. “I don’t know if she knows. I haven’t decided if I’m going to tell her. I have to think about Boba. Last time she found out he was cheating, she went into this deep depression. And look how that worked out.” He pointed to the scar on his face. “It took her years to pull herself out of that. Is it really fair of me to do that to her again?” 

“You aren’t doing it to her. He did that,” Rex said firmly. “He did. Look.” He let out a long sigh. “I’ve been in a situation where I was abused and neglected by the person that was supposed to take care of me. If you think that’s happening with Boba, you need to get him out of there. I’ve been through the process of getting guardianship. I know some case workers and people who could help you if you need it. Just… consider it.” 

“I gave her so many chances.” Cody’s voice shook, and he put out one hand to brace himself against the brick wall. “To be a good mother. To leave him once and for all. She still won’t leave him. This could break her. And you know what?” He was quiet for a moment. “I don’t know that I really blame her. She was seventeen when she got pregnant with me. He promised to take care of her. He left her with nothing.” 

“She still let that happen to you.” Rex gestured towards his scar. “No kid deserves that. No kid deserves to be beaten or neglected or… treated like they’re worthless.” 

Cody nodded and reached out to squeeze Rex’s shoulder. “You know I’m here, right? If you need it?” 

“Yeah.” Rex cleared his throat and pulled away. “Listen, um. Call me later. If you need help figuring out what to do about Boba.” 

“Thank you. It means a lot.” Cody dropped his hand. “Go be with your brothers. Happy birthday, Rex.” 

“Stay safe, Cody.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing Tumblr: captaindominoes


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Coming into this super late, but I promise I'm getting back on my writing game :)

Nothing mitigated a post-birthday hangover like cake for breakfast and enough caffeine to stop a small animal’s heart.

Hardcase, Jesse, and Kix were already at school, and Echo and Fives were sleeping in since neither of them had therapy, so Rex remained blissfully undisturbed until after his third cup of coffee. On his days off, Rex could usually be found either napping or working on a DIY project around the apartment. He was considering whether he should work on finishing that shelf he was building for the bathroom or take a look at the wobbly chair leg in the kitchen. On one hand, the extra shelf in the bathroom would be more accessible for Echo, who struggled to reach the items in the cabinet above the toilet. On the other, that wobbly chair was starting to grate on Rex’s nerves, especially since Hardcase had taken to rocking back and forth in it to purposely annoy him. 

Rex was saved from having to make a decision when Anakin’s call came through. Figuring it was something quick, most likely work-related, Rex answered as he rinsed his coffee mug. 

“Anakin.” 

“Hey, buddy, I need to ask for a favor.” Static in the background told Rex that Anakin was driving, and his voice sounded urgent. It immediately put Rex on edge. 

“What is it?”

“There’s a problem at the shop. I have to meet the insurance adjuster down there in half an hour. Problem is, Padme is at work and I’m supposed to be watching Luke and Leia today,” Anakin said. “Any chance you could help me out? It would just be for a few hours. You’d really be doing me a favor, Rex.”

There was no hesitation. “Yeah, of course. Are you dropping them off?”

“Yep,” Anakin said. “I’m really glad you said yes, considering I’m pulling up to your apartment complex now.”

Rex snorted. “You’ve gotten me out of a lot of tight spots. I think I can handle babysitting for a few hours.” 

“These two won’t give you much trouble. Alright, you little rascals, let’s go.” 

Almost as soon as Rex put the phone down, he heard a door open and close behind him. It was good timing; Echo and Five were awake. 

“Who was that?” Echo asked as Fives wheeled him over to the couch. 

“My boss, Anakin. He’s dropping off his kids for a couple hours. If you don’t want to deal with them, you can hang out in your room,” Rex said. “I’ll keep them in the living room.”

“No, it’s fine. Fives, I wanna sit down.” Now that Echo had gotten strength back in his left arm, he was able to lift himself out of the chair and move over to the couch as long as he was close enough. “He has two kids, right?” 

“Yeah.” A knock sounded at the door, and Rex moved to answer it. “That’s him.”

Rex opened the door to find Anakin standing there with Luke on his hip and Leia holding his hand. He had met them enough times that he wasn’t a stranger. Luke beamed and wiggled until Anakin let him down.

“Hi, Rex! Is this where you live?” 

“Yeah, it is.” Rex stepped aside so Anakin and the kids could come in. “Hey, guys. Anakin, these are my brothers, Echo and Fives.”

Echo smiled, and Fives gave a small-half wave as he flopped onto the couch next to Echo. “We’re twins too. Pretty neat, huh?”

“I’ve heard a lot about you guys. All good things. Well, mostly.” Anakin flashed them a grin and knelt down when Luke tugged on his sleeve. “What’s up, buddy?”

“Daddy,” Luke breathed in a comically loud whisper, his wide, curious blue eyes trained on Echo. “Why doesn’t that man have any legs?”

Anakin’s expression shifted into a perfect mix of horror and embarrassment, while Fives hid his laughter poorly behind his hand. “Luke, it’s not polite to ask that. Why don’t you go up and introduce yourself to him?”

“Okay.” Luke tore away from Anakin and ran over to Echo, thrusting his hand into his face. “Hi! I’m Luke. Why don’t you have any legs?” 

Luckily for Luke, Echo took the question with grace and shook his hand without a fuss. “Hi, Luke. I’m Echo. Well, I lost my legs in an explosion, and I lost my arm too. I was in the military. So it happened while me and my brother Fives were fighting in another country.”

“Like the Winter Soldier.” It was Leia that spoke up this time. She hopped on the couch between Echo and Fives, unfazed by Echo’s lack of limbs as Luke was. “I saw that movie. He lost his arm, and then he got a metal one. Are you going to get metal legs too?”

“Maybe. Probably not ones as fancy as that, but I might get some new legs soon,” Echo said, chuckling at her boldness. “What’s your name?”

“I’m Leia. I drew a picture of the Winter Soldier. You don’t look like him, though. He has long hair.” Leia dug around in the pink backpack she had deposited on the floor and pulled out a notebook. “I’ll show you.”

Anakin shook his head and pulled Rex aside. “Sorry about that. Kids, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know. Echo’s fine. We have a big family. We’re used to it.” Rex crossed his arms over his chest and watched Leia flip through her sketchbook to show Echo. “Anything I need to know before you head out?”

“They already had breakfast, so they shouldn’t be hungry. They shouldn’t be too hard to handle. Just turn on the TV or let ‘em play. I’ll be back soon. Two hours at the most.” Anakin clapped Rex on the shoulder. “Hey. I appreciate this. I can pay you--”

Rex waved him off before he could even finish his sentence. “It’s a favor. Go do what you need to do.” 

“You’re the best, Rex.” Anakin walked over to the couch to give both of his kids a big hug before he left. “Be good for Rex, okay?”

“Okay, Daddy. Bye!” Leia patted him on the back and went right back to showing Echo her drawings, while Luke lingered a little longer on his hug. 

“Bye, buddy. I’ll be back soon.” Reluctantly, Anakin pulled back from the embrace and kissed his son on the head. As soon as he was out the door, Luke ran to the window and waved at him until he was out of sight. 

“Bye, Daddy! Bye!” 

After Anakin’s car was gone, Luke hopped down from the window and went to sit by Leia. Though Rex had experience with children, he hadn’t dealt with kids this young since he was a kid himself. He awkwardly hovered for a minute, wondering what he could possibly do to entertain these kids without any kid stuff to do or toys to play with, until an idea popped into his head. 

“Leia. You said you like superhero movies?”

“Yep. I like Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Captain America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, and Bucky Barnes. That’s the Winter Soldier’s real name,” Leia informed Rex, who nodded along seriously. 

“You know a lot about this.”

“I watch superhero movies all the time with Daddy. He took me to see Deadpool even though Mom said no and then she got really mad.” Leia shrugged. “I don’t see what the big deal is. It was a good movie.”

“It had the ‘fuck’ word in it,” Luke whispered conspiratorially to Fives. He and Echo exchanged a delighted glance. It was no surprise Anakin’s kids were as chaotic as the man himself.

“We’re not watching Deadpool. But we can watch another movie.” Rex grabbed the remote and turned on Disney+, which Jesse and Kix had recently demanded he subscribe to. “Is Captain America good? You both like that?”

“I like Captain America! He was really skinny and then he got big. Mom says I’ll get big too but only if I eat my vegetables,” Luke piped up. 

“That’s right. Listen to your mom.” Scrolling through the list, Rex easily located the first Captain America movie and switched it on. Perhaps it wasn’t the most appropriate movie for a pair of five year olds, but if Anakin let them watch it, surely he wouldn’t get in trouble. 

Starting from the opening scene, Leia provided her own movie commentary to enhance the movie-watching experience. While she happily chatted away with Echo about everything she knew about the entire series, Fives helped Luke drag down the couch cushions and a blanket to make a small fort in front of the coffee table. Rex closed the blinds to darken the room, and he even made a bowl of popcorn for the kids to share as they nestled together in their makeshift movie fort. 

By the time Anakin returned, the movie still had about fifteen minutes left. Luke and Leia were so engrossed in what was happening on-screen that they hardly noticed their father had arrived to pick them up. Anakin stood and watched them for a minute before he bent down and stuck his head into their fort. 

“Guys, it’s time to--”

“Shh!” Leia exclaimed, pushing Anakin’s head out of her way. “This is the good part, Daddy! See, Captain America is going to crash the plane because he has to save everyone. But he doesn’t die. He wakes up in the future.”

Anakin pursed his lips together in amusement and settled down on the floor. “Alright, alright. Let’s watch the last few minutes.”

Once the credits began to roll, Leia stayed staunchly in her seat underneath the blanket covering the fort. Only after the end-credits scene was she willing to budge. 

“Okay, Daddy. Now it’s over,” Leia announced, crawling out to grab her sketchbook and backpack. “Are we going home now?”

“Yep. It looks like you had a good time with Rex.” Anakin gently shook Luke awake from where he was dozing on the floor. Luke whined and pouted, so Anakin picked him up and let him lay his head on his shoulder while he carried him. While waiting for Leia to pack up her backpack, Anakin mouthed ‘thank you’ to Rex and rubbed Luke’s back in comforting circles. Rex smiled in return and nodded. 

Rex got hugs from both Luke and Leia before they headed out, and Leia gave extra hugs to Fives and Echo as well. Echo was gifted the drawing of the Winter Soldier she had made during the movie. It was rudimentary, but well-done for a child of her age. It went up on the refrigerator to be displayed proudly for all to see.

With the Skywalker twins now gone, Rex took to cleaning up the mess in the living room. Fives had gone quiet about halfway through the movie, and now that their guests had left, he stood to go back to his room. Echo caught his arm as he walked by. 

“Fives, hold on. We still haven't--”

“Not now. My head. Sorry, Echo. Later.” Ducking into their room, Fives quietly but firmly shut the door to block out all light and noise. He still suffered from the occasional migraine. Having two rowdy kids around all morning surely hadn’t helped. 

Rex finished putting the couch cushions back and turned to Echo. “Do you need help with something?” 

“It can wait,” Echo said dismissively, going for the TV remote. Rex knew not to push, but Echo’s face was pinched in a way that meant he was annoyed, so he pressed just a little further. 

“You sure? It’s not a big deal. I can help you.” 

“Fives always helps me bathe in the mornings. It’s not his fault he has a migraine. I just…” Echo clutched the remote a little tighter. “I can’t even clean up by myself. I wish I didn’t have to depend on him for everything. That’s all.” 

“Hey, Echo.” Rex gently took the TV remote out of Echo’s hands and set it aside. “Do you need help taking a bath?” Echo jerked out a nod reluctantly, his eyes fixed on the floor. “Let me help you out. Okay? I just have to help you get in and out, right?” 

“I can do the rest.” Echo glanced over at his closed door. “It’ll have to be in your bathroom.” 

“That’s fine. It’s just us.” Rex let Echo go ahead of him into his room, and then he entered the en-suite bathroom to start the water. “I used to wipe Kix and Jesse’s asses and clean up after Hardcase when he had accidents. This is nothing new to me.” 

“There’s a difference between changing a baby and having to help a grown man take a bath,” Echo bit back. The bitterness in his voice hit Rex in his core. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

Rex winced internally and quickly backtracked. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I’m just trying to make you more comfortable.” 

“You’re not. Let’s just get this over with.” 

Not wanting to do more damage, Rex turned away without another word. The tub was almost full now, so he tested the water to make sure it wasn’t too hot. Echo had already undressed himself. The only part he couldn’t do was transfer himself into the bathtub, and that was where Rex came in. 

Manhandling his naked brother was going to be awkward no matter how he did it. Rex decided quicker was better, so he lifted Echo from his chair and had him sit on the edge of the tub for a moment while he got situated. From there, Echo could lower himself in by bracing his hand on the wall, and Rex let go as soon as he was able. 

“Do you need anything else?” 

“I can’t exactly reach that.” Echo gestured to the caddy hanging from the neck of the shower head where all the soap and shampoo was sitting. Rex could forgive him for his curt tone given the circumstance. He may not have fully understood, but knew Echo well enough to realize this was both humiliating and uncomfortable for him. 

Rex brought the bottles down and arranged them on the side of the tub within reach. “Just holler when you’re done. I’ll be in my room.” 

“Close the door,” Echo called after him as he left, and Rex honored his request. 

Though he had tried his best not to stare, it was impossible not to notice all the physical changes Echo had gone through since his arrival back home. Rex couldn’t remember a time when his brother had ever been so frail, and yet here he was, little more than pale skin and bone. His face, now drawn and gaunt, betrayed the reality of many months inside a hospital or their apartment without sunlight. Echo was no longer the happy, confident man Rex had sent off to war. He carried himself like he was unsure of his own existence. No amount of physical therapy had been able to restore him to who he was before. Rex wasn’t sure that man even existed now. 

A sudden explosion of sound startled Rex to his feet just a few minutes after he sat down on his bed to wait. Loud, frustrated cursing was quick to follow, and then silence. 

“Echo?” Rex called tentatively, stepping towards the door. “You okay?”

“I dropped the damn-- alright, come in, Rex.”

Echo was hunched over in the bath when Rex found him, head in his hand. Several plastic bottles littered the floor. Rex picked them up and set them back up for him when he realized what had happened. 

“It’s fine. Anything else while I’m in here?”

“Just stay.” Echo grabbed the conditioner and worked it into his short hair. “I’m almost done.”

Rex put the toilet seat down and sat on top of it, keeping his gaze politely at the wall. With every second that passed, the silence grew thicker, and Rex knew he needed to be the one to break it. 

“Fives tells me that you might be able to get a prosthetic soon.”

“Yeah. I’m healed up and healthy enough for it, but it’ll be a challenge when I’m only working with a fourth of my limbs.” Echo closed his eyes and dumped a cup of water over his head to rinse his hair. “It’s expensive, though. All the prosthetics are expensive, even the simple ones.”

“You know I’d figure it out.” Rex reflexively reached out to help when the cup slipped out of Echo’s hand, but the look on his brother’s face caused him to wilt back. “I’m sorry.”

“I need to do it on my own, Rex. Otherwise I’m never going to be able to be independent.” Echo became somber and quiet as he finished washing his hair. “I may never be anyway.”

“You don’t know that,” Rex responded, but it was a cheap comfort.

“Don’t I? Look at me, Rex.” Echo shrank in on himself right before Rex’s eyes, a pathetic and forlorn picture huddling in the lukewarm bathwater. “I wake up. I go to therapy every other day. I spend most of my days in bed or on the couch. I can hardly get around by myself. I can’t cook. I can’t help you out around the apartment. I can’t even take a piss or clean myself without help. Fives has never complained, but I know it has to be a drain on him. He’s getting better. He’s getting his speech back. He sounds almost normal now. But I can never get my legs and my arm back.” His voice broke off near the end. Tears dripped quick and silent down his cheeks, disappearing in small ripples into the still bathwater. Echo’s fragile exterior was crumbling right before his eyes. Rex’s heart ached for him; not just because of Echo’s pain, but because Rex knew he couldn’t take it away from him. 

“Hey, Echo, hey,” Rex murmured, sinking down onto the floor next to the bath. “Come here.”

Echo’s shoulders trembled as a sharp sob ripped through his body. He leaned over, partially out of the bath, and Rex was there in a split second to catch him in his arms. As soon as Echo was in Rex’s embrace, the dam broke, and his cries bounced off the tiled walls. 

“Shh, shh.” Rex curled his hand around the back of Echo’s neck and held him to his chest. The edge of the bath pressed uncomfortably into his stomach, but he hardly noticed. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

“Rex.” Echo’s breaths came out in short, labored bursts. “I don’t want to be useless. All I wanted was to do something with my life. That’s all I wanted. And this is what I got. I’m a burden-- on everyone-- on you, on Fives, on our family--”

“No.” Rex tightened his grip and pulled back so he could press their foreheads together. “Never. I love you. I know a lot happened over there, but all I care is that I got my brother back. Even if things aren’t the same anymore. All I wanted was for you to come home. I knew we could make it through anything else.”

“And what if I have to spend the rest of my life in a wheelchair?” Echo sniffled wetly. “I’ll never be what I was before.”

Rex cupped Echo’s face in his hands and leaned back to stare deep into his vulnerable, shining eyes. “I will never give up on you. Don’t give up on yourself. That’s all I ask. I’ll be here. No matter how long it takes for you to heal. And I’m not just talking physically.”

Head bowed, Echo jerked a tiny nod and clutched Rex’s arm. “I’m not giving up. I want to get prosthetics. I know it’ll be hard. But I have to try. I refuse to be a burden forever.”

“I think I haven’t been giving you enough credit. Here. Let’s get you out of here.” The water had grown cold, and Echo’s bare skin prickled with goosebumps. Echo pulled the drain and Rex bent over, helping him to sit on the edge of the tub. Rex wrapped him in a towel and helped him get dry enough to put on his boxers and sweats. 

“Fives is still in there with a migraine. It’s probably better if you hang out in my room for awhile,” Rex said, holding open Echo’s shirt so he could stick his head and arm through. “Want me to put you back in your chair?”

Echo hesitated and slowly shook his head. “Bed’s right there.”

Rex nodded in understanding. “I got you.” It was easy enough to lift Echo, and walking a few yards to the bed was little trouble. Rex set Echo down and let him get comfortable before climbing in beside him. 

“What did you mean when you said you weren’t giving me enough credit?” Echo leaned his head back against Rex’s pillow, while Rex turned onto his side and propped his head up on his hand. 

“There’s a lot you can do with just one arm if you want to feel useful. You can learn how to cook one-handed, you can clean, you can do laundry,” Rex listed. “You can help me organize the finances. You can help the boys with their homework. You’re not useless, Echo. Actually, I could really use your help around here.”

“Oh, right. I can wash all your dirty underwear and do your taxes,” Echo replied, but he had a tiny smile on his face “I think I could handle that. You’ve never treated me different, Rex. At least not intentionally. I appreciate that.”

“I’m your big brother. I’m always going to want to look after you,” Rex replied. “But I know you have to figure out how to do this stuff on your own.”

“You’re the closest thing any of us ever had to a dad. Even though you’re only ten months older than me and Fives.” They shared a laugh as Rex settled down beside him. 

“You and Fives haven’t spoken to our father yet.”

“I know.” Echo stared up at the ceiling and tapped his fingers against his chest. “Maybe someday. But not right now. From what you’ve told us, and from what we know, it’s not worth it. I don’t want to hear what he has to say. We have enough going on right now.”

Rex mulled it all over in his head for a moment before speaking. “Cody told me something yesterday.”

“Yeah?” Echo glanced at him. “What?”

“Dad’s sleeping with someone else while he’s supposed to be with Cody’s mother.”

Echo snorted and threw his arm over his face. “I hope he uses a condom this time,” he muttered. “I don’t want any more surprise siblings.”

“He hasn’t really changed. Even after all this time. But we never needed him.” Rex nudged Echo with his elbow. “You’re important to me. Our brothers are important to me. I’ve spent enough time being angry at him. I’m just tired now. Tired of him thinking he has a right to our family when he hasn’t even tried to be a father to us. He isn’t family.”

“And Cody? What about him?”

A soft chuckle escaped Rex, one that spoke of the irony of wanting to hate a man who was just too damn likeable. “He’s a good man. None of this is his fault. All he’s ever done is try to fix it. I respect him. I respect what he’s trying to do for his brother Boba.”

“If Cody’s anything like you, Boba’s lucky to have him,” Echo said. It was so genuine that Rex felt his chest swell with warmth and pride. 

“I think I’m the lucky one to have you, Echo. All of you.”

Echo shifted over and laid his head on Rex’s shoulder. His hair was still wet from his bath, but Rex didn't mind. “We’re lucky to have each other. I wouldn’t change that. Not for anything.”


End file.
